NORTHERN IRELAND

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had since May 2010 with  (a) the First Minister and  (b) the Deputy First Minister on steps taken by the Northern Ireland Executive to combat anti-Semitism in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and I have not had any such discussions as these are devolved matters.
	The Office of the First and Deputy First Minister's vision for racial equality and good relations is set out at:
	http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/index/equality/race.htm

Bill of Rights

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress he has made on the establishment of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The lack of consensus in Northern Ireland on the issue of a Bill of Rights remains a considerable barrier to further progress. Northern Ireland Office Ministers and officials will continue to have discussions with interested parties and consider how best to take matters forward in the coming months.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Lights

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has installed motion-sensitive energy-saving lighting in its estate; and what plans he has for the installation of such lighting.

Gregory Barker: Motion-sensitive lighting was installed as part of the refurbishment of 3 Whitehall Place in 2004-05. Since occupying the building, the Department has enhanced the lighting system, and continues to do so.
	The Department also occupies a portion of Atholl House in Aberdeen, where motion-sensitive lighting is installed in some parts of the building but not in the general office areas. The Department does not manage the building but is working with the managing agents to improve its energy efficiency.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from the abolition of three public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 21 March 2011
	On 16 March 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) issued a Written Ministerial Statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimated that cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion would flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	I anticipate net overall administrative savings for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) of £70,000 per year over the spending review period as a result of the abolition of three of our public bodies. Overall administrative reductions across DECC and its departmental public bodies will be £167 million over the spending review period. Final decisions on where the reductions will fall have not yet been taken by Ministers.

Departmental Theft

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what items with a value of over £100 have been taken without authorisation from his Department since his appointment; and what steps have been taken to recover such items.

Gregory Barker: No items over £100 have been taken from DECC departmental premises without authorisation. Two laptops and five blackberry devices have been stolen from DECC staff outside departmental premises. In all instances, the police were notified.

Electricity Generation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had to discuss electricity market reform proposals with UK electricity supply companies which are not one of the six major UK electricity suppliers; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Ministers regularly meet with independent electricity supply companies to discuss energy issues, including electricity market reform.
	Concerted efforts are made by all Ministers and officials in the Department to engage all stakeholders with an interest in electricity market reform, including UK electricity supply companies, by attending meetings and speaking at events all over the UK.
	Ministers and officials generally have meetings with interested stakeholders on a weekly basis.

Nuclear Power Stations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will extend his Department's review of the implications of the situation concerning nuclear power stations in Japan to include consideration of the  (a) costs and  (b) timetable for new nuclear build in the UK.

Charles Hendry: holding answer 21 March 2011
	The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) has asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
	He has asked for an interim report by mid May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be shared widely and made public.
	The detailed scope of Dr Weightman's report will be confirmed as information from Japan becomes clearer. The report will be conducted in close cooperation with the International nuclear community including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Japanese authorities and other regulators to carefully establish the lessons to be learned and will include existing nuclear installations in the UK and the proposed new reactor programme.

Nuclear Power Stations: Emergencies

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the plans of the UK's nuclear industry to respond to a natural disaster.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend, has asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
	He has asked for an interim report by mid May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be shared widely and made public.
	The detailed scope of Dr Weightman's report will be confirmed as information from Japan becomes clearer. The report will be conducted in close co-operation with the International nuclear community including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Japanese authorities and other regulators to carefully establish the lessons to be learned and will include existing nuclear installations in the UK and the proposed new reactor programme.

Oil: Industry

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) senior officials in his Department have had with the staff, agents or representatives of (i) Shell, (ii) BP, (iii) Anglo Siberian Oil Company, (iv) Gazprom Neft/Sibneft Oil Group, (v) Chevron Texaco, (vi) Esso/Exxon, (vii) Total, (viii) Gulf Oil and (ix) Mobil since his appointment; and on what date each such meeting took place.

Charles Hendry: Ministers and officials at the Department of Energy and Climate have regular discussions with stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
	Details of external meetings held by DECC Ministers and its permanent secretary are published on the DECC website at
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx
	Details of meetings senior officials have had with staff, agents or representatives of these companies is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Renewable Energy

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of electricity generation came from  (a) renewable sources and  (b) offshore wind in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of electricity that will be generated from each such source in 2020.

Charles Hendry: In 2009, renewable sources provided 6.7% of electricity generation in the UK, while offshore wind provided 0.5%. In 2010 quarter 3, renewable sources provided 8.5% of electricity generation, while offshore wind provided 1.0%.
	The UK National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), published in July 2010:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/ored/ukaction_plan/uk_action_plan.aspx
	estimates that around 30% of the UK's electricity could come from renewable sources in 2020. It also estimates that 12 per cent of the UK's electricity could come from offshore wind. However, the actual generation from any renewable technology will depend on how the market responds to the incentives that we put in place.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 242W, on solar power: feed-in tariffs, whether his Department's decision to cap uptake under the feed-in tariff scheme was taken in consultation with the solar photovoltaic industry; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: There has been no decision to cap uptake under the Feed-in Tariff scheme (FITs). On 7 February the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) announced that the comprehensive review of the FITs scheme had commenced. He also announced that, alongside the comprehensive review there will be fast-track considerations for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations over 50kW and a short study on farm-scale anaerobic digestion (AD). On 18 March we published the fast-track consultation which will close on 6 May 2011. We are proposing to amend the tariff rates paid for solar PV above 50kW and for farm scale AD up to 500kW.
	Any changes proposed will be subject to consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny as set out in the Energy Act 2008.

Wind Power

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of megawatts of offshore wind development required to meet  (a) UK and  (b) EU targets for renewable energy.

Charles Hendry: The UK National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), published in July 2010 estimates that around 13 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind will be required to help meet the UK's target for renewable energy in 2020:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/ored/uk_action_plan/ukaction_plan.aspx
	The Government do not set targets for individual energy generation technologies but takes a market-based approach to energy generation. The actual generation from any renewable technology will depend on how the market responds to the incentives that we put in place.
	DECC does not estimate the amount of renewable energy required across the EU, but a summary of EU renewable energy action plans can be found at
	http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2010/e10069_summary.pdf
	This suggests that 41 GW of offshore wind is planned across the EU to meet the EU target for renewable energy.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Stress

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what arrangements are in place in the Electoral Commission to  (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and  (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has a work-related stress policy and procedure and runs stress management and awareness programmes for staff.
	Any staff diagnosed with stress are supported via the employee assistance programme, which provides face to face and telephone counselling sessions and online resources on stress management. Staff may also be referred to the Commission's occupational health service following which any recommendations to assist the employee are implemented.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that during the
	last five years it has provided funds for 19 charities as part of its 'partnership grants' programme. Grants were made to these charities under Section 13 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), to help them run programmes to increase voter registration and democratic engagement.
	The Commission closed the partnership grants programme in March 2010 but the amounts awarded to each charity for the four years prior to that are displayed in the following table.
	The Electoral Commission does not plan to fund any charity over the next five years.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  Total 
			 Area 43 21,528 45,695 45,795 23,976 136,994 
			 Barnardo's 12,000 96,998 85,475 90,910 285,383 
			 British Youth Council 46,618 77,969 88,002 - 212,589 
			 Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO) Scotland 29,662 83,819 80,503 74,340 268,324 
			 Disability Action 32,314 66,921 62,359 65,035 226,629 
			 Leonard Cheshire 12,702 39,243 41,991 33,387 127,323 
			 Outside The Box 15,260 26,250 - - 41,510 
			 Rethink 18,432 71,404 114,470 64,920 269,226 
			 SACOMA (Sahara Communities Abroad) 42,317 80,295 79,925 35,549 238,086 
			 United Response 10,069 29,208 58,505 30,213 127,995 
			 YMCA 11,989 81,330 61,005 44,425 198,749 
			 Fawcett - 4,476 74,439 78,988 157,903 
			 Princes Trust - 3,732 53,461 82,194 139,387 
			 Scottish Council on Deafness - 3,641 80,900 67,713 152,254 
			 Speaking Up - 5,281 68,657 52,142 126,080 
			 UK YP - - 94,119 105,879 199,998 
			  252,891 716,262 1,089,606 849,671 2,908,430

CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet Committees: Sustainable Development

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Cabinet committees and sub-committees have had responsibility for sustainable development since 6 May 2010; and for what periods.

Francis Maude: holding answer 18 March 2011
	The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has lead responsibility for sustainable development and sits on the Economic Affairs and Home Affairs Committees to enforce the Government's commitment to mainstreaming sustainability across all Departments.

Census

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account the Office for National Statistics took of the proportion of the population who do not follow a religion in preparing the forms for the  (a) 2001 and  (b) 2011 Census.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 22 March 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what account he took of the proportion of the population who do not follow a religion in preparing the forms for the (a) 2001 and (b) 2011 Census. (47621)
	A question on religion was included in the Census in England and Wales for the first time in 2001 following the Census (Amendment) Act 2000. Responses to the question helped provide information which supplemented the output from the ethnicity question by identifying ethnic minority sub-groups, particularly those originating from the Indian sub-continent, in terms of their religion. The wording and design of the question and response categories were determined after extensive consultation with users and other key stakeholders and a programme of question testing. Information from the religion question is used to supplement ethnicity data to gain a general understanding of society; to inform service provision and resource allocations; and for fulfilling legal obligations to monitor inequalities.
	Consultations in 2005 and 2007 revealed again a high demand for the inclusion of a question on religion in the 2011 Census. The majority of users responding to the 2007 consultation indicated a requirement for comparability between the 2001 and 2011 Censuses.
	ONS recognised that no single religion question could meet all user needs and after a programme of research and testing, ONS decided that religious affiliation - the number of people who identify with a religion irrespective of the extent of their religious belief or practice-was again the most appropriate concept to measure. Affiliation is a socially significant indicator in its own right that relates to a person's cultural background and values.
	Consequently, the UK Statistics Authority proposed in the White Paper 'Helping to shape tomorrow' (published in December 2008) to repeat the 2001 question as one of a suite of census questions that would allow individual respondents to indicate their identity in the way they consider most appropriate. As was the case in 2001, and in accordance with the provisions of the Census Act, the question is-unlike all other questions in the Census-voluntary.
	The question wording takes account of the fact that a significant number of people are likely to choose to respond by indicating that they have no religion. Thus to make the facility for making such a response explicitly clear, the 'None' tick box has been placed first in the list of optional responses.

Census

Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what occasions his Department has had discussions with the devolved Administrations in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and ( c) Northern Ireland on (i) the company chosen to carry out the 2011 Census and (ii) the operation of the census in those regions.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 22 March 2001:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking on what occasions discussions have been had with the devolved administrations in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on (i) the company chosen to carry out the 2011 Census and (ii) the operation of the census in those regions. (47801)
	ONS, as the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, is carrying out the 2011 Census in England and Wales. The statutory responsibility for the administration and conduct of the census is not a matter that has been fully devolved in Wales, although the Welsh Ministers played a formal role in determining the conduct and content of the census in Wales. The Registrars General of Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively are responsible for carrying out the census in Scotland and Northern Ireland where the census is a fully devolved matter, and this includes the awarding of contracts.
	The National Statistician and the Registrar General of Scotland, and the Registrar General of Northern Ireland meet regularly to discuss census matters and the harmonising of approaches. Such discussions included the approach to outsourcing some services for the 2011 Census.
	Although the operation of the 2011 Censuses in the UK is the responsibility of the different census offices, there is close co-operation; for example the date of the census was agreed jointly. A formal agreement between the National Statistician and the Registrars General is reviewed regularly by the UK Census Committee. A copy of the agreement and updates are published on the website at
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/index.html
	The co-ordination of the census across the UK permits harmonisation of the 2011 Census results.

Charities Act 2006

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date each section of the Charities Act 2006 currently in force was brought into force; how many sections have not yet been brought into force; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: Various provisions of the Charities Act 2006 ("the Act") have been brought into force either on enactment, or by commencement orders. Section 79 of the Act lists the sections that came into force on enactment on 8 November 2006. The other sections of the Act that are in force were commenced on various dates as listed in the following commencement orders, which are available in the House Library:
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No 1, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007 No. 309)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No 2, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007 No. 3286)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008 No. 751)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008 No. 945)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008 No. 3267)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional Provisions and Savings) (Amendment) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009 No. 841)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No.6 and Commencement No.5, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings (Amendment)) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009 No. 2648)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No.7, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No. 503)
	The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings) (Amendment) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No. 1942)
	The main provisions of the Act yet to be implemented are:
	Provisions relating to the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) (section 34 and schedule 7). These are due to be implemented later this year.
	Provisions relating to licensing and regulation of public charitable collections (Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Act). There no immediate plans to implement these provisions.

Charities Act 2006

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to bring sections 45 to 66 of the Charities Act 2006 into force; what recent representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: There are no immediate plans to commence Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Charities Act 2006. Instead, the future licensing and regulation of public charitable collections will be considered as part of the review of the Charities Act 2006, due to begin later this year. In the current economic climate implementation of the Charities Act 2006 licensing provisions has to be weighed against other priorities. Affordability and value for money are likely to be determining factors in whether the new licensing regime is implemented. Whatever the outcome of the review, we want to make it easier for legitimate charities to fundraise responsibly, while deterring bogus collectors and preventing nuisance for members of the public.
	I have received several written representations from interested parties about the future regulation of public charitable collections, but as it will be considered by the review of the Act, I do not intend to make a statement at this time.

Departmental Assets

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether receipts from the sale of assets owned by regional development agencies are reflected in the spending plans of his Department for  (a) 2012-13 and  (b) 2013-14.

Francis Maude: My Department's spending plans reflect the Cabinet Office and its NDPBs. The regional development agencies are not part of the Cabinet Office.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Francis Maude: The Government publish on a quarterly basis the names of special advisers by Department, including each special adviser's pay band, and actual salary where this is £58,200 or higher, together with the details of the special advisers' pay ranges.
	The latest list, which includes an estimate of the total pay bill including pension costs, was published on the Cabinet Office website on 10 March 2011 at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Departmental Secondment

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff from organisations outside Government are on secondment to his Department; from which organisation each has been seconded; and what the period is of each secondment.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office central staff database shows 10 staff seconded from organisations outside the civil service. The organisations from which staff are seconded are:
	Equality and Human Rights Commission, Environment Agency, Metropolitan Police Service, Big Lottery Fund, Volunteer England, Royal Navy, Price Waterhouse Coopers, House of Lords (3).
	The period of the secondment varies from between four months and three years.

EU Law: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many statutory instruments relating to the implementation of EU legislation laid before Parliament have not been approved by Parliament in each year since 2001.

Francis Maude: Since the beginning of the 2000-01 Session of Parliament, a total of 381 statutory instruments subject to affirmative procedure have been laid before the House of Commons but not approved by Parliament. This includes instruments which were withdrawn by the Government but not instruments which are currently awaiting approval. I have placed a complete list of these instruments in the Library.
	Information about whether each of these instruments related to the implementation of EU legislation could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Government Departments: ICT

David Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made on the proposed G-cloud computing strategy; and when he plans to publish it.

Francis Maude: The Government have published eight documents on their work to date on the G-Cloud programme.
	The G-Cloud documents are at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/g-cloud-programme-phase-2
	The following reports are included:
	1. G-Cloud Vision
	2. G-Cloud Commercial Strategy
	3. G-Cloud Strategic Outline Business Case
	4. G-Cloud Implementation Strategy
	5. G-Cloud Service Management, Organisational Structure and Governance
	6. G-Cloud Service Specification
	7. G-Cloud Technical Architecture
	8. G-Cloud Foundation Principles
	The G-Cloud programme is continuing to develop the forward looking Cloud Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Higher Education: Finance

Robert Halfon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has  (a) had any discussions with and  (b) provided any assistance to British universities in securing (i) contracts and (ii) financial support from Libya in the last 10 years.

Francis Maude: Since the appointment of the coalition Government, the Cabinet Office has had no discussions, nor provided any assistance, to British universities interested in trading with Libya. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided by the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk) on 15 March 2011,  Official Report, column 306W.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Pay

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special advisers receive a salary of more than £64,000.

Francis Maude: Special advisers with a salary of more than £64,000 are listed in the table of special advisers published on 10 March 2011 which can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Public Sector: Property

Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on the review of public property undertaken by the Government Property Unit.

Francis Maude: The Government has introduced a new system of national property controls across the central civil and operational estate. In addition, the Government believe there could be substantial gains to be made from a more co-ordinated approach to property asset management in the public sector and will set up property vehicles for the central London and Bristol office estate from 2011-12.
	To date, the lease moratorium, introduced in May 2010, has saved around £50 million and has strengthened discipline in the management of the public estate.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether funds allocated and not spent on the National Citizen Service by the end of March 2011 can be carried over into the following financial year.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office does not expect an under-spend relating to funds allocated to the National Citizen Service. Decisions concerning the carry forward of funds from one financial year to the next are made by HM Treasury.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Board

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the membership is of his Department's Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Board; and when that board last met.

Jeremy Hunt: The Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Implementation group, formed under the last Government, no longer meets. However Ministers from my Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have recently met senior representatives from across the Creative Industries, and have agreed to ensure there is co-ordinated action on barriers to growth.

Arts Council England

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England allocated per head of population in  (a) Walsall North,  (b) Walsall South and  (c) Aldridge Brownhills in the last year for which figures are available.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England estimates spend in 2009-10 at 50p per head in Walsall North, £10.87 per head in Walsall South and 50p per head in Aldridge Brownhills.
	Additionally, a number of organisations funded by the Arts Council tour their work in the constituency, though their funding is not represented in the figures above.

Arts Council England

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Arts Council England has put in place arrangements to  (a) assess and  (b) publish an assessment of the effects on arts and cultural organisations of (i) local government, (ii) regional development agency and (iii) higher education spending reductions.

Jeremy Hunt: Arts Council England (ACE) actively monitors the situation regarding local government future support for the arts, particularly how this may impact on the decisions relating to their new National Portfolio which will be announced on 30 March. The Regularly Funded Organisations annual survey, including details of local government income, will be published in January 2012. Additionally, ACE is supporting the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers (NALGAO) which undertakes a national survey of local government support for the arts which is expected to be published in May 2011.
	ACE does not collect data on regional development agency or higher education expenditure on the arts.

Arts Council England: Expenditure

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he last met the  (a) chair and  (b) chief executive of Arts Council England to discuss their future funding decisions.

Jeremy Hunt: I regularly meet with the chair and chief executive of Arts Council England (ACE) to discuss a range of issues. Funding decisions on the new National Portfolio will be made by ACE at arm's length from Government and announced on 30 March.

Arts Council England: Flowers

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on (a) flowers and  (b) receptions and entertainment in 2009-10.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England spent approximately £435 on flowers and £55,300 on entertainment and hospitality in 2009-10.

BBC

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the commitments imposed on the BBC relating to local news content; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The BBC's commitments to particular forms of content will be reviewed as part of the next BBC Charter review, which will take place before the end of 2016.

BBC: Radio

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on the funding of BBC local radio; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: No recent discussions have been held with the BBC Trust on the future of BBC local radio. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport will not be making a statement.

British Sky Broadcasting

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations have made representations to his Department on the proposed merger between News Corporation and BSkyB since the date on which he assumed policy responsibility for the matter.

Jeremy Hunt: My Department launched a public consultation on 3 March seeking views as to whether the undertakings in lieu offered by News Corporation are sufficient to remedy, mitigate or prevent the public interest concerns in relation to media plurality raised by this merger.
	We have said throughout that we do not propose to give a running commentary on the process but a summary and analysis of the representations will be published shortly after the end of the consultation process.

British Sky Broadcasting

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects of his decision on the News Corporation bid for BSkyB on news websites provided by newspapers other than those owned by News Corporation.

Jeremy Hunt: The European Commission looked at the competition effects of the proposed merger. In respect of online news, the EU reported that the vast majority of newspapers' online editions-apart from News Corp titles-as well as other sources are currently free of charge and they found no evidence that this will dramatically change in the foreseeable future. For these reasons, the Commission conclude that competition concerns in the newspaper publishing sector would arise from the proposed merger. Details of the European Commission decision can be found at the following link:
	http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1767&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&gui Language=en
	More generally, Ofcom's public interest test report of 31 December includes a discussion of the role of websites in relation to media plurality. A copy Ofcom's report can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/OfcomPITReport_NewsCorp-BSkyB_31DEC2010.pdf

British Sky Broadcasting

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has any plans to meet representatives of other media organisations before reaching a final decision on NewsCorp's proposed acquisition of BSkyB.

Jeremy Hunt: I will consider all requests for meetings from representatives of other media organisations before reaching a final decision on News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BSkyB.

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what definition of high-speed for the purposes of broadband provision he uses.

Edward Vaizey: Government are developing a scorecard to measure themselves against the target of having the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015. The first iteration of the scorecard was published in "Britain's Superfast Broadband Future" on 6 December 2010. Further work on the precise set of parameters to be included in the scorecard is continuing in consultation with industry but will include a group of measures of broadband speed taken from established published sources.

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of local authority areas in  (a) England,  (b) Wales and  (c) Scotland with access to high-speed broadband by the end of (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) 2015.

Edward Vaizey: The Government have not made an estimate of the number of local authorities in the UK that will have access to high-speed broadband by the end of the years specified in the question. Published private sector plans will deliver superfast broadband access to approximately 50% of the country by 2012 and at least 66% of the country by 2015. The Government have made universal broadband a high priority and have allocated funding of £530 million over the lifetime of this Parliament to stimulate private sector investment to deliver the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

Fibre Networks

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the cost of installing fibre networks to reach every household in the UK.

Edward Vaizey: A 2008 study by Analysys Mason for the Broadband Stakeholder Group put the cost of universally available Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) at up to £29 billion and Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) at up to £5 billion.

Olympic Games 2012

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on implementation of the Olympic Truce.

Hugh Robertson: The UK will introduce a UN resolution in support of the Olympic Truce this autumn. My Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are currently preparing a draft text for negotiation with other UN member states which I will share with the Mayor, and the other Olympic Board members, shortly.

Public Bodies Reform Programme

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from  (a) the abolition of 11 public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility,  (b) the merger of eight such bodies and  (c) the change in function of three such bodies.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 21 March 2011
	 The decision to reform our public bodies was taken in order to achieve the aims of the Government's public bodies reform programme to deliver greater accountability, reduce the number and overall cost of public bodies and streamline the public bodies landscape.
	On 16 March 2011,  Official  Report, columns 9-10WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period. DCMS's share of this is estimated at £206 million.
	We expect our public body reforms to generate further administrative savings and will monitor this closely as the reforms are implemented.

Squatting

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many buildings on his Department's estate were occupied by squatters in each year between 2006 and 2010; and on how many occasions his Department sought interim possession orders to remove squatters from such buildings in each of those years.

John Penrose: None of the Department's buildings were occupied by squatters between 2006 and 2010.

Theatre

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward plans to increase the accessibility of theatre in  (a) Ipswich and the surrounding region and  (b) England.

Edward Vaizey: Responsibility for increasing the accessibility of the arts in England lies with Arts Council England.
	Arts Council funding for theatre in Ipswich and the surrounding region was £1,111,844 from grants for the arts in 2009-10 and £3,445,390 for regularly funded organisations (inclusive of Ipswich constituency).
	The Arts Council currently invests a total of £105,970,891 in theatre through grant in aid across England. In 2009-10 they awarded £13,811,298 in grants for the arts to theatre in England.

Tourism

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what consideration he gave to including proposals for changes to daylight saving hours in the Government's tourism strategy.

John Penrose: The tourism strategy is a policy document that outlines what the Government plan to do to support the tourism industry. The Government are willing to listen to arguments both for and against daylight saving proposals, but it is a rather wider issue than purely tourism, which is why it does not form part of the tourism policy on its own.

Video Games: Children

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the marketing of computer games to children.

Edward Vaizey: The advertising of computer games is controlled through the UK Advertising Codes, which are robustly administered by the independent Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The Codes require that all video games advertising should be socially responsible and that ads for games carrying a Pan European Games Information (PEGI) rating of 15+ are not targeted at audiences below the age of 16. Should the ASA find that an advertiser has breached the Advertising Codes, they will not hesitate to take action.

Video Relay Service

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK economy of introducing a universal video relay service.

Edward Vaizey: No Government assessment has yet been made of any contribution to the economy of introducing a universal video relay service.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently considering responses to its consultation on proposals to implement the revised EU Electronic Communications Framework. Many of these provide useful contributions to the impact assessments we are undertaking in relation to implementing the revised framework, including those provisions aimed at providing services for deaf and disabled end-users.
	In addition, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision for hearing- and speech-impaired users of electronic communications. A consultation document will be published in the spring which will include Ofcom's analysis on the costs and benefits associated with video relay services and an impact assessment.
	A research report which will help inform that review was published on 4 February 2011 and can be read at:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/telecoms-research/ofcom-relay-services/
	This report seeks to quantify the value to deaf people of the various options for relay services.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Local Government: Electronic Government

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Leader of the House when he expects the transfer of e-petitions to the Direct.gov portal to be completed.

George Young: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller) on 21 March 2011,  Official Report, column 845W.
	The Government have announced their intention to transfer the online petition system to the Direct.gov portal by the summer. Officials within the Cabinet Office are working on an effective verification system to ensure that petitions become a useful and mature tool for engaging with politics.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate: Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate is (i) in 2010-11 and (ii) in each financial year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(2)  what the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (i) is in 2010-11 and (ii) will be in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(3)  under what budget headings expenditure reductions will be made by HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate following the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review; and by how much expenditure will be reduced under each heading.

Dominic Grieve: HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate agreed resource budgets over the spending review period are shown in the following table. There is no capital expenditure budget.
	
		
			  Resource and Capital budgets 
			   Resource (£)  Capital (£) 
			 2010-11 3,684,000 Nil 
			 2011-12 3,500,000 Nil 
			 2012-13 3,400,000 Nil 
			 2013-14 3,200,000 Nil 
			 2014-15 3,100,000 Nil 
		
	
	The principal budget headings under which spending will be reduced across the CSR period are:
	
		
			   £000 
			 Staff costs 96 
			 Accommodation 309 
			 Overall administrative costs 179 
			 Total reduction 584

PRIME MINISTER

Alcoholic Drinks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Prime Minister how much 10 Downing Street has spent on the contents of his drinks cabinets since 11 May 2010.

David Cameron: Details of the cost of entertainment and hospitality in Downing street and Chequers are published annually.

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations have made representations to 10 Downing Street on the proposed merger between News Corporation and BSkyB since his appointment.

David Cameron: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is consulting on the proposed response and any representations should be made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

USA

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates he has spoken directly with the President of the United States since his appointment.

David Cameron: I speak to President Obama regularly, most recently on the evening of 17 March 2011.

SCOTLAND

Alcoholic Drinks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on the contents of ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not have a ministerial drinks cabinet.

Departmental Plants

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment.

David Mundell: Since 30 May 2010, the Scotland Office has spent £37 on indoor and outdoor plants and trees.

Departmental Theft

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what items with a value of over £100 have been taken without authorisation from his Department since his appointment; and what steps have been taken to recover such items.

David Mundell: Since 30 May 2010, no items with a value of over £100 have been reported as being taken without authorisation from the Scotland Office.

Stress

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are in place in his Department to  (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and  (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office follows Ministry of Justice policies concerning work-based stress.
	Managers and staff share responsibility for assessing and managing stress at work. Detailed guidance is provided on how these actions should be carried out and the arrangements which should be followed.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not currently fund any charities. However, in 2005-06, the Scotland Office, in conjunction with the Wales Office and Ministry of Justice, funded a series of reports on devolution from University College, London, which is an exempt charity in accordance with the Charities Act 2006. The Scotland Office agreed to contribute £25,000 over three years to fund the work.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Food

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that (i) was on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and (ii) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date.

Bob Neill: The Department has used the following proportions of seafood in the last two financial years:
	
		
			  Item  Sourced  On the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid  Included in Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat  2009-10 value (£)  2009-10 proportion (%)  2010-11 value (£)  2010-11 proportion (%) 
			 Cod Atlantic No Yes - - - - 
			 Salmon Organic farmed No Yes 4,284 32.98 3,300 31.77 
			 Haddock North Sea No Yes 3,014 23.20 3,480 33.50 
			 Smoked Haddock North Sea No Yes 141 1.09 56 0.54 
			 Plaice fillet North Atlantic No Yes 2,052 15.80 1,711 16.47' 
			 Mackerel North Sea No Yes 1,148 8.84 769 7.40 
			 Tuna steak South Pacific No Yes 632 4.87 290 2.79 
			 Red Mullet fillet Atlantic No Yes 480 3.70 0 0.00 
			 Crayfish in brine Farmed Not listed - 607 4.67 107 1.03 
			 Frozen prawns Atlantic No Yes 232 1.79 319 3.07 
			 Smoked salmon Organic fanned No Yes 194 1.49 335 3.23 
			 Mussels Farmed No Yes 50 0.38 0 0.00 
			 Scallops Diver caught No Yes 45 0.35 10 0.10 
			 Anchovies in oil Mediterranean Not listed - 0 0.00 10 0.10 
			 Crab meat Pot caught No Yes 110 0.85 0 0.00 
			 - - - - 12,989 100.00 10,387 100.00 
		
	
	The Department's agencies figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Planning Inspectorate 
			  Item  Sourced  On the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid  Included in Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat  2009-10 value (£)  2009-10 proportion (%)  2010-11 value (£)  2010-11 proportion (%) 
			 Prawns NE Atlantic No Yes 182 7.99 444 15.39 
			 Plaice NE Atlantic No Yes 468 20.58 460 15.94 
			 Haddock NE Atlantic No Yes 663 29.14 851 29.50 
			 Cod NE Atlantic No Yes 962 42.29 1,129 39.17 
			   - - 2,274 100.00 2,883 100.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Fire Service College 
			  Item  Sourced  On the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid  Included in Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat  2009-10 value (£)  2009-10 proportion (%)  2010-11 value (£)  2010-11 proportion (%) 
			 Mackerel North sea No Yes 2,693 9.59 3,104 10.67 
			 Tuna Maldives No Yes 18,720 66.69 18,720 64.32 
			 Cod Atlantic/Arctic No Yes 6,656 23.71 7,280 25.01 
			 - - - - 28,069 100.00 29,104 100.00 
		
	
	 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
	The QEII Conference Centre Have confirmed that they are not using any seafood on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid but could supply a full breakdown only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of seafood procured by non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Bob Neill: For the purpose of clarity, I have separated out information for the pre and post-election periods for 2010-11.
	Pre-election, in 2010-11, the Department spent £6,173.31 on salaries for special advisers and £1,443.43 on pension contributions-£7,616.74 in total. Special advisers also received £3,966.67 in lieu of annual leave not taken and £54,300.03 in severance payments. This gives a total amount received of £65,883.44.
	Post-election, in 2010-11, the Department has spent £101,778.21 on salaries and £11,226.11 on pension contributions to date-£113,004.32 in total.
	By way of comparison, in 2009-10, the Department spent £209,253.98 on salaries and £40,716.97 on pension contributions-£249,970.95 in total. Special advisers also received £2,393.19 in lieu of annual leave not taken and £44.288.53 in severance payments. This gives a total amount received of £296.652.67.
	As part of the new Government's transparency agenda, the individual salaries of special advisers in the current Administration are published on the Cabinet Office website; the pension arrangements are as laid out in the Cabinet Office's model contract for special advisers.
	Further to the answer of 29 March 2010,  Official Report, column 838W, I would note that the total wage bill of special advisers in this Department has been cut by 40% compared to the last Administration.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much Ministers in his Department spent on meals in restaurants in the course of their official duties in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and in which restaurants;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Don Valley of 26 January 2011,  Official Report, column 302W, on departmental official hospitality, what the  (a) cost and  (b) venue was of each meal taken outside the Department at events involving its Ministers in the final two years of the previous administration.

Bob Neill: In line with established convention, present Ministers are not accountable to Parliament for events which took place under a previous Administration. This is outlined in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (volume II page 11)-copies of the guidance are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public bodies sponsored by his Department  (a) have been and (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following his appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence.

Bob Neill: Following the coalition Government's commitment to cut the number of quangos, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit closed in June 2010 and the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate, the Local Innovation Award Scheme and National Tenant Voice closed in July 2010. Five women and 16 men relinquished their positions. Individual figures for each body are as follows:
	
		
			   Female  Male 
			 Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate 2 5 
			 Local Innovation Award Scheme 1 2 
			 National Housing and Planning Advice Unit 0 5 
			 National Tenant Voice 2 4 
		
	
	A further 12 bodies are due to close or transfer to the private or voluntary sector by 2012. For each, the exact numbers of public appointees who will relinquish their positions will not be known until closer to the time of reform.

Departmental Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many regulations sponsored by his Department have been  (a) introduced and  (b) revoked since 24 November 2010.

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what regulations his Department  (a) introduced and  (b) revoked between 9 and 28 February 2011.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government is committed to removing bureaucracy and unnecessary burdens contained within existing secondary legislation and other forms of regulation.
	In this context, I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) of 24 November 2010,  Official Report, column 304W, illustrating how the core programme of the Department is deregulatory.
	 Subsequent to that answer:
	1. We have scrapped planning rules which forced up parking charges and imposed artificial caps on parking spaces in new homes.
	2. We have made changes to the regulations governing homes in multiple occupation to allow areas experiencing problems with homes in multiple occupation to put in place local solutions without imposing unnecessary burdens on the whole of the country.
	3. We have cut red tape to make it easier for communities to hold street parties for the Royal Wedding.
	4. The Localism Bill has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill seeks to achieve a substantial and lasting shift in power away from central Government and towards local people. Reducing bureaucracy is one of the key aims of this Bill and we have committed to a number of bold and transformative measures in order to achieve this aim.
	5. We have also carried out an extensive review to identify the changes that are needed to building regulations and are working up detailed proposals for consultation towards the end of this year, taking forward the spending review 2010 commitment to reduce the overall regulatory burden on house builders.
	6. We are also working to remove bureaucratic barriers that hold back local action, and have opened up a 'barrier busting' website for communities to identify them.
	All future regulations will be developed in full compliance with the Government's One, In-One, Out rules-meaning that new regulatory burdens we impose on businesses will be given full consideration to ensure that the costs being imposed are offset by reductions in the overall cost of regulation imposed by the Department.
	In the period since 24 November 2010, we have introduced 19 new statutory instruments. Most of them relate to minor technical revisions. Having reviewed them, I can confirm that none of these statutory instruments impose new net additional costs on business or the voluntary sector (compared to the policy status quo). Four of them are effectively deregulatory, as they serve to reduce regulatory and administrative costs on local government or business relative to the status quo. In this context, I would maintain that over this period there has been a net reduction in four sets of 'regulations', as a result of these changes to statutory instruments. A table with details of the statutory instruments that have been introduced has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons persons not employed by Government Departments or agencies are issued with passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises.

Bob Neill: Passes may be issued to individuals who have valid business reasons for making frequent visits to specific Government sites (e.g. contractors), subject to the usual security checks.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department distributed in disabled facilities grants in each year since 1995.

Andrew Stunell: Disabled facilities grants were introduced by the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. The following table shows the allocations for disabled facilities grant.
	
		
			   Disabled facilities grant funding (£ million) 
			 1997-98 56.0 
			 1998-99 59.0 
			 1999-2000 64.8 
			 2000-01 71.8 
			 2001-02 84.8 
			 2002-03 88.0 
			 2003-04 99.0 
			 2004-05 101.1 
			 2005-06 103.3 
			 2006-07 120.8 
			 2007-08 126.8 
			 2008-09 146.0 
			 2009-10 156.9 
			 2010-11 169.0 
			 2011-12 180.0 
			 2012-13 180.0 
			 2013-14 180.0 
			 2014-15 185.0

Families

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to reduce the incidence of family breakdown since his appointment.

Andrew Stunell: holding answer 21 March 2011
	We have committed £6.5 billion of funding over a four-year period for Supporting People, which provides housing related support to vulnerable individuals. This includes homeless families.
	Homelessness can be a driver and an outcome of family breakdown. We have allocated £400 million to local authorities and the voluntary and community sector over the course of the spending review to support them with their work in tackling and preventing homelessness.
	We are working with lenders, the debt advice sector and local authorities to prevent repossessions and have made over £200 million available for the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, to help keep vulnerable households at risk of repossession in their homes.
	In addition, from April 2011, the first Community Budgets focused on families with multiple problems, will be in place in 16 areas, enabling a more flexible, integrated and cost-effective approach to delivering the help these families need. We intend to develop Community Budgets further and have them available nationally from 2013-14.

Fire Services

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on arrangements to improve liaison between fire services and other blue-light responders; what assessment he has made of the preparedness of fire services to handle major incidents; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The strategic defence and security review records Ministers agreed intention to improve resilient telecommunications and the ability of the emergency services to work together during emergencies.
	I recently met the Minister of State, Department of Health, the right hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns), to discuss the collaborative work between the fire and rescue service and ambulance services.
	In addition considerable work is being undertaken by police, fire and ambulance personnel and departmental officials. This includes, implementation of procedures to enable the emergency services and other responders to make best use of the Airwave radio network during major incidents and the development and refinement of operational plans for dealing with a range of different types of incident. The recent Exercise Watermark is just one example of our work to improve the preparedness of the emergency services to handle major incidents.

Housing: Construction

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will work in partnership with  (a) the Self Build Agency and  (b) other community organisations to assist those in housing need to build homes.

Grant Shapps: Self-builders form an important part of the Government's strong commitment to increasing the supply of affordable and sustainable homes and promoting economic growth.
	We are already working with the "Community Self Build Agency" and a wide range of community organisations and other industry experts on a Government-industry working group, which will prepare an action plan setting out the concrete steps needed to make it easier for people to build their own homes.

Housing: Construction

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the number of plots of land available for self-build projects;
	(2)  how many planning applications for self-build homes were approved in  (a) Brighton and Hove,  (b) Sussex and  (c) England in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010;
	(3)  how many planning applications for self-build homes were submitted in  (a) Brighton and Hove,  (b) Sussex and  (c) England in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Grant Shapps: This information is not held centrally.

Housing: Finance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that funding for the housing market renewal pathfinder initiative from New Homes Bonus funding does not take account of demolition in the pathfinder areas.

Grant Shapps: Councils will be rewarded under the New Homes Bonus for an increase in effective housing stock-either building new homes or bringing long-term empty properties back into use. This empty homes incentive will thus encourage refurbishment of empty properties, which will deliver social and environmental benefits.
	Notwithstanding, councils will not be financially penalised for demolishing long-term empty properties. If such a demolition is replaced with a new build property, the New Homes Bonus will still be paid on the new property.
	Where an authority demolishes more homes than it builds in a given year, as in regeneration areas, the negative will not be carried forward. The authority will start from a zero base in the subsequent year.

Judicial Review

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many concluded judicial reviews of his Department's actions were brought in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; what the name was of the applicant in each case; and what the outcome of each case was.

Bob Neill: The following six judicial reviews were concluded between April 2008 and March 2010:
	(SSCLG won)
	(SSCLG won)
	(SSCLG won)
	(SSCLG won)
	(SSCLG lost)
	(SSCLG won)
	There were 34 judicial reviews in 2008-09 and 33 in 2009-10 respectively. The above list of cases relates to substantive judicial reviews of the Department's actions concluded by way of hearing between FY 2008-09 and 2009-10 and do not include those claims for judicial review that were commenced but not concluded, either because permission to proceed was not granted, or the matter was withdrawn by consent order or otherwise, before a court hearing. The list does not include those reviews which are made pursuant to statutory provisions such as those under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and judicial reviews in which the Department intervened as an interested party.

Judicial Review: Legal Costs

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on legal costs associated with judicial reviews in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Bob Neill: The Department spent £1,433,000 in 2008-09 on 257 challenges of which 34 were judicial reviews and £1,035,000 in 2009-10 on 230 challenges and of which 33 were judicial reviews. A further breakdown of legal costs associated with judicial reviews can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Finance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Local Government Resource Review will be concluded.

Bob Neill: The Local Government Resource Review will deliver proposals in relation to business rate retention and Tax Increment Financing by July 2011.

Local Government Finance: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from the London borough of Islington on its level of central Government support for 2011-12; what assessment he has made of the effects of the settlement; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The London borough of Islington responded to the consultation on the provisional Local Government Finance settlement for 2011-12 on 9 December 2010. The Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), also met the chief executive, leader of the council and others to discuss the provisional settlement on 11 January 2011.
	The funding settlement shows that the Government will not shy away from the decisions needed to tackle the public sector deficit that we inherited from the last Administration. It is a progressive, fair and sustainable settlement that helps restore real responsibility and authority to councils.

Local Government Resource Review

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what remit he has set for the Local Government Resource Review; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when his Department expects to  (a) begin and  (b) publish its Local Government Resource Review.

Bob Neill: holding answer 7 March 2011
	I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 17 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 19-21WS, on the Local Government Resource Review. The review will deliver proposals by July 2011.

Local Government: Translation Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he intends to update his Department's guidance to local authorities on the translation of documents; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: holding answer 21 March 2011
	At present, I have no intention of updating or issuing new guidance to local authorities on the translation of documents. Local authorities have the freedom and the responsibility to determine what translation is necessary in their area.
	In 2007, DCLG issued guidance on translation to local authorities, which currently remains on the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/580274.pdf
	This guidance reaffirmed the importance of the English language and concluded that:
	"In short, we would encourage local authorities to consider whether translation is necessary, for which documents it is appropriate, whether it should be available on demand, and whether it can be done in a way that helps people learn English."

Non-domestic Rates

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the amount each local authority will collect in national non-domestic rates in each year from 2010-11 to 2013-14;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2010,  Official Report, column 57W, on non-domestic rates, how much each local authority in England has collected in national non-domestic rates in 2010-11 to date; how much each such authority received in  (a) redistributed non-domestic rates,  (b) revenue support grant and  (c) other grants in that period; and what the net income from such transactions was for each local authority in that period.

Bob Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table which shows the amount of national non-domestic rates each local authority in England estimates it will collect in the financial year 2010-11. The table also includes the amount each local authority had budgeted to receive in  (a) redistributed non-domestic rates,  (b) revenue support grant and  (c) other grants for the financial year 2010-11.
	The contribution to the pool from local lists expected to be collected in the financial year 2011-12, for England, is estimated to be £20,845 million. This figure is available only at national level.
	No estimates have been made at either a national or local level on the amount of national non-domestic rates expected to be collected in the financial years 2012-13 or 2013-14.

Non-domestic Rates: Third Sector

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) charities and  (b) community amateur sports clubs in each local authority area received mandatory rate relief on national non-domestic rates in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what the cost to the public purse of such relief was in each such year.

Bob Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House two tables containing details, at local authority level, of  (a) the number of hereditaments that were in receipt of either mandatory charity or discretionary community and amateur sports clubs rate relief on their national non-domestic rates as at 31 December 2007, 2008 and 2009 and  (b) the amount of mandatory charity or discretionary community and amateur sports club relief granted in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	These data are as supplied annually by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government on national non-domestic rates returns.

Non-domestic Rates: Third Sector

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) charities and  (b) community amateur sports clubs received discretionary rate relief on national non-domestic rates in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what the cost to local authorities of such relief was in each such year.

Bob Neill: Details of the number of hereditaments that were in receipt of either discretionary charity or discretionary community and amateur sports clubs rate relief on their national non-domestic rates as at 31 December 2007-09 are shown in the following table. It is not possible to determine how many individual charities or clubs were in receipt of the reliefs.
	
		
			   As at 31 December each year 
			   2007  2008  2009 
			 Charity relief 30,000 30,900 32,100 
			 Community and amateur sports club relief 1,000 1,200 1,300 
		
	
	These figures are also available in table 5 of the statistical release "National non-domestic rates collected by local authorities in England 2009-10 (Revised)" that was published on 25 January 2011 and which is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/nondomesticrates/outturn/
	Discretionary relief is part funded by the national non-domestic rates pool and part by the local authority itself. For both charity relief and community and amateur sports clubs relief, the central pool funds 25% of any discretionary relief granted and the local authority funds the remaining 75% of the relief. The following table shows the amount of discretionary relief local authorities reported the pool contributed towards i.e. this figure is 25% of the total amount of discretionary relief granted. We do not collect information on the amount of discretionary relief funded by local authorities.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Charity relief
			 Contribution from the pool reported on NNDR forms 8,775,000 9,065,000 10,141,000 
			 Estimated contribution by local authority 26,325,000 27,195,000 30,423,000 
			 
			  Community and amateur sports club relief
			 Contribution from the pool reported on NNDR forms 169,000 230,000 247,000 
			 Estimated contribution by local authority 507,000 690,000 741,000 
		
	
	These figures are as reported by local authorities on their annual national non-domestic rate (NNDR) returns and can relate both to the year in question and previous years.

Oldham Council: Pay

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that Oldham Council publishes details of all staff earning over £58,000 a year.

Bob Neill: holding answer 21 March 2011
	The Government believe a threshold of £58,200 should apply for publication of salaries in local authorities to increase accountability and ensure pay is consistent with levels of responsibility. The Department recently consulted on the use of this threshold in a statutory Code of Recommended Practice on Data Transparency. The proposed Code is intended to complement publication and disclosure requirements under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (SI2004/3391). The consultation closed to comments on 14 March 2011 and the Department is now considering these responses.

Voluntary Organisations: Playing Fields

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on permitting locally-constituted charities or other groups to manage  (a) village playing fields and  (b) other local services independently of (i) district and (ii) parish councils.

Andrew Stunell: The Localism Bill will give new rights to charities and other groups to enable them to challenge to take over running local authority services, and help them save assets and facilities that are important to them. In particular, the Community Right to Challenge will enable voluntary and community bodies, local authority employees wishing to deliver the service as a mutual, and parish councils, to express an interest in running a service on behalf of a county, district or London borough council. This challenge may trigger a procurement exercise for the service in which the challenging organisation can bid.

Waste Management

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of local authorities on  (a) waste management and  (b) waste prevention.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on its waste review, looking at all aspects of waste policy and delivery in England. Ministers and officials in both Departments are liaising closely on these issues. The Department has had no separate discussions with representatives of local authorities except when dealing with planning issues.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer Question 42092, on regulations, tabled on 17 February 2011 for answer on 28 February 2011.

Bob Neill: Question 42092 was answered on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 333W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 42086 on regulations, tabled on 16 February 2011 for answer on 28 February 2011.

Bob Neill: holding answer 15 March 2011
	Question 42086 was answered on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 333W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aggregates Levy

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much revenue accruing from the aggregates levy was disbursed to conservation projects by her Department in each of the last four financial years.

Richard Benyon: The aggregates levy sustainability fund (ALSF) was created to compliment the objectives of the aggregates levy in 2002 to reduce the impact of primary aggregates extraction on the environment. The two are separate-in that the levy does not pay directly for the fund.
	ALSF monies have been used, through primary national delivery partners, on many conservation-based projects across a number of themes of the ALSF programme of work. Figures are not available specifically on all conservation type projects; however, the following table shows the amount spent by Natural England for conservation projects for the last four financial years.
	
		
			   Conservation projects spend (£) 
			 2007-08 (1)4,900,000.00 
			 2008-09 3,372,877.58 
			 2009-10 4,239,242.38 
			 2010-11 2,717,264.06 
			 (1) Approximate-from Natural England's ALSF annual report

Birds of Prey

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of sparrowhawk breeding on the songbird and racing pigeon population in the UK.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA set up a Raptor Working Group in 1995 to consider issues arising from perceived conflicts between the recovery of some raptor populations and their impact on game birds, moorland management and racing pigeons. The group noted in its final report, which was published in 2000, that in its view there was no scientific evidence that sparrowhawks or other birds of prey have had significant population effects on British songbird populations. The group also reported that the evidence showed that changes in agricultural practice were more likely to have caused the substantial changes in farmland bird populations. The report is available on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website.
	In relation to predation of pigeons a study commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Shawyer, C, Clarke, R&Dixon, N 1999, "A study into the raptor predation of domestic pigeons  Columba livia") to support the work of the Raptor Working Group, on which the Royal Racing Pigeon Association was represented, concluded that failure to home or straying appeared to be the most significant underlying reason for losses of racing pigeons whereas sparrowhawk attacks were estimated to account for only 3.7% of losses in the UK.
	A 2004 study funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union, suggested there is no evidence that birds of prey cause major losses of racing pigeons at lofts or during races. The report "Racing Pigeons-Impact of Raptor Predation" concludes that much more could be done to use deterrents and other novel techniques to reduce the small number of successful raptor attacks that do take place. The report is available on the Scottish Natural Heritage website.
	There has also been a recent review of an exploratory trial of two management practices designed to reduce sparrowhawk attacks on racing pigeons at pigeon lofts which is available on the Scottish Executive website.

Birds: Conservation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance her Department issues to bird ringers on the number of rings which should be fitted per bird.

Richard Benyon: Ringing of birds in the UK is regulated through the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) under delegated authority from country conservation agencies (as relevant licensing bodies) via formal agreement with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). BTO's Ringing Committee oversees ringing activities and regulates permission for the use any new or 'unconventional' marks proposed for use on birds.
	In addition to conventional metal rings, coloured rings (which are sometimes engraved with symbols) are used to enable the identification of individual birds in the field without the need for their recapture. The number and type of coloured rings used varies according to the species of bird concerned and the objectives of the relevant scientific study. Since the purpose of bird ringing is to collect information on the movements and survival of a representative sample of wider populations, it is essential that ringing (or other forms of marking) does not influence the health or behaviour of the birds concerned.

Birds: Conservation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of birds which were ringed in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment she has made of the health risks posed to birds by excessive ringing.

Richard Benyon: Ringing of birds in the UK is regulated through the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). According to BTO, 1,032,013 wild birds were ringed in the UK in 2010. BTO's Ringing Committee oversees ringing activities and regulates permission for the use any new or 'unconventional' marks proposed for use on birds. Since the purpose of bird ringing is to collect information on the movements and survival of a representative sample of wider populations, it is essential that ringing (or other forms of marking) does not influence the health or behaviour of the birds concerned.
	BTO works with other national schemes through the European co-ordination scheme EURING. As well as exchange of data, this international co-operation ensures there is regular exchange of information on issues relating to ringing, and bird health and welfare.

Cheese

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to support the cheese industry.

James Paice: The Government aim for a cheese industry that is part of a profitable, thriving and competitive UK dairy sector.
	To this end, we have reinvigorated the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, challenging key representatives to discuss issues and opportunities, the health and future of the dairy sector, and how the industry might address the trade balance and secure its own sustainability and long-term British milk supply. The first meeting in this more productive format was 20 January 2011. The focus of the next forum this summer will be how individual businesses and groups of suppliers and customers through the chain need to establish clear strategies to secure the long-term sustainability of British milk supply and the industry as a whole.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that food and drink procured by Government Departments meet British or equivalent standards of production where this does not lead to an overall increase in costs. We want Government to lead by example and to see top quality British produce on public sector plates, which provides value for money, meets customers' requirements and delivers on sustainability. We aim to introduce Government buying standards, which will be mandatory for central Government, by the end of March 2011.
	We are establishing a groceries code adjudicator (GCA) to monitor and enforce the groceries supply code of practice (GSCOP). The GSCOP was introduced so that major retailers with buyer power would be prevented from passing excessive risks or unexpected costs on to suppliers. In a period where input costs are rising and forecast to rise further, this is more important than ever. The GCA will investigate complaints from anyone in the supply chain that is directly or indirectly affected by a breach of the code and can deal with them anonymously. This means suppliers from both the UK and overseas will be able to complain confidentially for the first time about breaches of the code. A Bill is currently being drafted.

Dairy Farming

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of dairy cows in England in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: The number of dairy cows in England for each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table. This is just one element of the structural changes that have taken place in the sector. The long-term trend in dairy production is towards fewer, larger and more productive herds. The table also shows how the decline in the number of dairy cows has been offset by an increase in average herd size and milk yields. So while the number of dairy cows, in England has fallen by 20% between2001 and 2010, the level of milk production (at the UK level) has only fallen by 5%.
	Dairy cows and milk production 2001-2010
	
		
			   Number of dairy cows in England (thousand)  UK milk production (million litres)( 3)  Average UK milk yield (litres per cow per year) 
			   Number( 1)  Number( 2)   
			 2001 - 1,490 14,284 6,346 
			 2002 - 1,462 14,440 6,493 
			 2003 - 1,435 14,576 6,621 
			 2004 - 1,374 14,127 6,763 
			 2005 - 1,311 14,052 6,986 
			 2006 1,259 1,290 13,902 6,977 
			 2007 1,236 - 13,619 6,913 
			 2008 1,199 - 13,319 6,943 
			 2009 1,163 - 13,197 7,068 
			 2010 1 160 - 13,533 7,301 
			  
			 Percentage change between 2001 and 2010(4) -20 - -5 +15 
			 (1) Sourced from Cattle Tracing System (CTS), Dairy cows are defined as female dairy cows aged two years and over with offspring. (2) Sourced from June Survey. (3 )Sourced from DEFRA and RPA statistics. (4) Allows for the break in series in 2006 with the switch to the CTS.

Departmental Land

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to reduce the size of her Department's estate; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Davey), on 14 March 2011,  Official Report, column 150W.

Forests

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she plans to set up an advisory panel on forestry; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  who will serve on the advisory panel on forestry;
	(3)  what representations she has received on setting up an advisory panel on forestry.

James Paice: The membership of the advisory panel on forestry was announced in a written statement on 17 March 2011,  Official Report, column 23WS. It includes representatives of key environmental and access organisations, alongside representatives of the forestry industry. It will draw on a broad range of expertise to inform its work. The membership of the panel is as follows:
	Right Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool (Chair);
	Shireen Chambers (Institute of Chartered Foresters);
	Dr Mike Clarke (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds);
	Tom Franklin (Ramblers);
	Stuart Goodall (Confederation of Forest Industries);
	Stephanie Hilborne OBE (Wildlife Trusts);
	Sue Holden (Woodland Trust);
	Alan Knight OBE (Single Planet Living);
	Dame Fiona Reynolds (National Trust);
	Sir Harry Studholme (Forestry Commissioner);
	John Varley (Clinton Devon Estates);
	William Worsley (Country Land and Business Association).
	We received representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals requesting to be members of the panel, and offering advice as to how the panel could work.

Nappies: Waste Disposal

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the potential saving to the public purse of 10 per cent. of parents switching from use of disposable nappies for their children to re-usable nappies.

Richard Benyon: Using data on the typical use of disposable nappies from the Environment Agency report "An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies" (2008), and population estimates for England from the Office for National Statistics, the estimated cost of collecting and disposing of disposable nappies in England was approximately £39.5 million in 2009. This estimate does not include landfill tax.
	The potential saving of 10% of parents switching from use of disposable nappies to reusable nappies implied would therefore be £3.9 million per year. This savings estimate does not account for any costs of disposing of reusable nappies, however.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding her Department provided for the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: In each of the year 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, DEFRA's contribution to funding the National Wildlife Crime Unit was £150,000.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Richard Benyon: Discussions about the National Wildlife Crime Unit have taken place at official level between DEFRA and the Home Office and both Departments have agreed to commit a further two years' funding.

Petrol Stations and Garages: Health Hazards

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the potential health risks associated with siting a petrol station within 50 yards of a residential area;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to introduce regulations to prevent petrol stations from being sited within 50 yards of residential areas.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 18 March 2011
	All but the smallest petrol stations are subject to control over vapour emissions from the unloading and storage of petrol, in accordance with the EU Stage I Directive on petrol vapour recovery (1994/63/EC). Larger petrol stations in England were also required to fit equipment to minimise vapour emissions from refuelling of vehicles by 1 January 2010.
	The EU Stage II Directive (2009/126/EC), which also deals with emissions-during refuelling, was adopted in 2009 and will be transposed into national legislation by the end of this year. The development of all these measures took account of health impacts. Where a planning application is required for the siting of a new petrol station, it is a matter for local planning authorities to decide whether the application should be granted, having regard to the policies in their development plans and any other material consideration.
	Copies of the directives are available from the DEFRA website at:
	http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/industrial/eu-international/petrol-vapour-recovery-directives/

Waste Disposal

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment her Department has made of the variation in the cost to the public purse in each local authority of  (a) waste prevention and  (b) recycling.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not made a formal assessment of the variation in costs between different local authorities of either waste prevention or recycling. Costs will vary depending upon local demographics, environments and facilities, and it is for local authorities to determine how best to provide services. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) works with councils on benchmarking quality of service and performance. WRAP reported in 2008 on relative costs of different collection systems; the report is available on its website.

Waste Disposal

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps her Department has taken to encourage the use of products which prevent waste.

Richard Benyon: Our range of activities to encourage the use of products which prevent waste includes:
	Free advice and support for businesses, and consumers on reducing waste. Advice for businesses on preventing waste and saving money is provided on the Business Link website and through the delivery body the Waste and Resources Action Programme. Guidance for consumers about how they can prevent waste through the goods and services they buy and use is on the Directgov website.
	Working with businesses to develop and implement a range of voluntary initiatives to reduce waste from their products and services. For example, the Courtauld Commitment with the grocery sector includes work on lightweight drinks bottles and refillable washing detergent pouches.
	Setting minimum EU standards for energy using products, and mandatory Government buying standards for central Government procurement. These standards cover a range of environmental issues including waste prevention.
	The action plans from the pilot product roadmaps on milk, clothing, plasterboard and windows all include actions to reduce waste.
	The landfill tax, which makes it more costly to dispose of waste.

Water Supply

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to enable a local authority to apply for inset appointments to alter the designated  (a) water and  (b) sewerage service provider for the area covered by that authority.

Richard Benyon: Ofwat, the water industry regulator, may grant inset appointments to local authorities to alter designated water and sewerage service providers in the following cases:
	where an area does not contain any premises that receive services from an appointed water or sewerage company (ie it is 'unserved');
	where a customer uses (or is likely to use) at least 50 million litres of water a year (in England) or 250 million litres of water a year (in Wales) at each of its premises and wants to change its supplier (a 'large user'); or
	where the existing appointed company agrees to transfer part of its area to a different company (a transfer by 'consent').
	It is therefore possible for a local authority to replace a local water company where the local authority owns or manages eligible sites, or if it is responsible for the delivery of new developments.
	An inset appointment can only be made for part of an area covered by an existing water company's licence. It is not possible to take over the whole of a water company's area by means of an inset appointment.
	The Government are considering recommendations made by Professor Martin Cave in his review of competition and innovation in water markets to reform the inset regime. However, there are no plans to give local authorities roles designating new inset appointees on behalf of premises outside of their control.

Water Supply

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision is available for  (a) business and  (b) residential consumers to choose the provider of their (i) water and (ii) sewerage services.

Richard Benyon: Business customers with premises that use 50 megalitres of water or more a year (or 250 megalitres if the premises are located in the areas served by water companies wholly or mainly in Wales) can replace their water and sewerage company with an alternative supplier under a new appointments regime. This allows a new entrant to replace an existing provider for a specific geographic area.
	Business customers with premises in England and Wales that use 50 megalitres or more of water a year can also switch to a new supplier under the water supply licensing regime (WSL). However, the WSL does not currently permit eligible customers to switch their sewerage service provider. The Government intend to lower the WSL threshold to five megalitres a year within the area of water companies that are wholly or mainly in England at the earliest opportunity. This would increase the size of the competitive water supply market from 2,200 eligible customers to around 27,000.
	Household customers (and ineligible business customers) do not have the opportunity to change their supplier under the above regimes. Options for extending choice in the water sector will be considered in the forthcoming Water White Paper.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Fixed Penalties

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued for  (a) consumption of alcohol and  (b) selling alcohol to under-age people in each police force area in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: The number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) given for consumption of alcohol in a public place and selling alcohol to under-age people offences by police force area in England and Wales in 2009 (latest available) are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Penalty notices for disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over for selling alcohol to under-age people and consumption of alcohol in a public place by police force area and offence, England and Wales 2009( 1) 
			  Police force area  Total  Supply of alcohol to person under 18  Sale of alcohol to person under 18  Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery  Allowing consumption of alcohol by under 18 on relevant premises  Consumption of alcohol in public place 
			 Avon and Somerset 63 4 40 3 1 15 
			 Bedfordshire 37 3 29 0 0 5 
			 British Transport police 3 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 36 0 15 1 0 20 
			 Cheshire 34 0 31 1 0 2 
			 Cleveland 47 0 44 2 0 1 
			 Cumbria 47 0 35 3 0 9 
			 Derbyshire 99 0 73 19 0 7 
			 Devon and Cornwall 100 5 93 2 0 0 
			 Dorset 46 5 34 4 0 3 
			 Durham 194 0 190 3 0 1 
			 Essex 110 1 67 8 0 34 
			 Gloucestershire 23 0 22 1 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 152 2 98 12 0 40 
			 Hampshire 230 0 191 21 0 18 
			 Hertfordshire 50 0 14 4 0 32 
			 Humberside 157 2 78 11 0 66 
			 Kent 63 0 20 4 0 39 
			 Lancashire 232 1 199 4 0 28 
			 Leicestershire 140 4 125 1 2 8 
			 Lincolnshire 34 0 30 3 0 1 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 129 0 100 8 0 21 
			 Metropolitan 1,297 5 345 3 0 944 
			 Norfolk 26 0 17 0 0 9 
			 North Yorkshire 4 0 2 2 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 21 0 16 3 0 2 
			 Northumbria 50 0 38 11 0 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 70 34 34 0 0 2 
			 South Yorkshire 328 0 244 14 0 70 
			 Staffordshire 52 0 31 3 0 18 
			 Suffolk 33 1 21 6 0 5 
			 Surrey 56 0 55 1 0 0 
			 Sussex 112 6 103 2 0 1 
			 Thames Valley 165 12 123 3 0 27 
			 Warwickshire 33 5 24 3 1 0 
			 West Mercia 32 5 25 2 0 0 
			 West Midlands 175 1 87 4 0 83 
			 West Yorkshire 169 1 139 0 0 29 
			 Wiltshire 51 0 5 1 0 45 
			
			 England 4,700 97 2,837 173 4 1,589 
			
			 Dyfed Powys 29 6 21 2 0 0 
			 Gwent 22 0 19 3 0 0 
			 North Wales 79 1 67 6 0 5 
			 South Wales 66 0 58 6 0 2 
			
			 Wales 196 7 165 17 0 7 
			
			 England and Wales 4,896 104 3,002 190 4 1,596 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Asylum

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date she expects her Department to have resolved all older unresolved asylum cases.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency provides regular updates on performance of the "legacy" cases, including a breakdown into grants, removals and "other" cases such as duplicates or errors, to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
	On 2 March, the Agency reported to the Home Affairs Select Committee that it had concluded over 403,000 cases as at 31 January 2011 and is on track to conclude the legacy backlog by summer 2011.

Asylum

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress her Department has made on speeding up the processing of asylum applications.

Damian Green: The average percentage of asylum claims that have received an initial decision within 30 days is 61% for cohorts since May 2010, compared to 46% for cohorts in the 12 months before May 2010. The average percentage of asylum cases concluded (granted or removed) within six months was 53% for cohorts since May 2010, compared to 48% for cohorts in the 12 months prior to May 2010.
	Both of these indicators form part of a new framework that measures our progress towards an asylum system with swifter case conclusions and no backlogs, delivered at significantly lower cost to the taxpayer. Through the Asylum Improvement Project we have been testing a number of new ideas to improve the speed of the system including increased use of specialist case owners, tools to improve the flow of decision-making, and a more structured approach to interviews and decisions.

Asylum: Finance

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of Azure cards issued in  (a) the City of Manchester,  (b) Greater Manchester and  (c) the UK.

Damian Green: The number of Azure cards issued and actively being used in the areas referred to are:
	 (a) City of Manchester: 141;
	 (b) Greater Manchester: 96;
	 (c) UK: 2,984.

Asylum: Scotland

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of asylum seekers living in Scotland were  (a) granted asylum and  (b) refused asylum and returned to their home country in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what proportion of asylum seekers living in Scotland have live appeal rights.

Damian Green: We have taken "live appeal rights" to mean appeals that are awaiting an outcome (i.e. an unconcluded appeal).
	The following table shows the proportion of asylum seekers living in Scotland who were granted asylum, refused asylum and removed to their country or origin. The table also shows the proportion with unconcluded appeals.
	
		
			  Asylum applications, excluding dependants, proportion granted, proportion refused and removed, proportion with unconcluded appeals, for individuals residing in Scotland, 2006 - 10( 1) 
			   Percentage granted( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 6)  Percentage refused and removed( 4,)( )( 6)  Percentage  u nconcluded appeals( 5,)( )( 6) 
			 2006 34.2 31.9 0.0 
			 2007 35.7 17.4 1.8 
			 2008 45.4 18.9 1.4 
			 2009 43.5 12.9 0.6 
			 2010 43.1 4.1 6.5 
			 Grand total 41.8 14.7 2.3 
			 (1) All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. (2) Cases relate to first Asylum Claims and only include main applicants. (3) Individuals granted asylum and refugee status, or refused asylum but granted Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave. (4) Removed includes enforced removals, port removals, voluntary departures, and include persons leaving under various assisted voluntary return programmes. (5) Unconcluded appeals relates to applicants who have lodged an appeal that is as yet unconcluded. (6) Data relate to applicants whose last known address was in Scotland. Subjects detained outside Scotland prior to removal will not be identified.

Asylum: Scotland

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers living in Scotland have  (a) returned voluntarily to their country of origin and  (b) been removed in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The data requested are shown in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Failed asylum seekers, excluding dependants, residing in Scotland, returned to their country of origin, 2006-10( 1) 
			  Year( 2)  Voluntary departures( 3, 4)  Enforced removals( 4)  Total( 4) 
			 2006 133 206 339 
			 2007 118 202 320 
			 2008 126 211 337 
			 2009 111 217 328 
			 2010 114 207 321 
			 Grand total 602 1,043 1,645 
			 (1) All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. (2) Year relates to the year of removal. (3) Voluntary departures includes subjects removed via various assisted voluntary return programmes as well as voluntary departures. (4) Data relates to applicants whose last known address was in Scotland. Subjects detained outside Scotland prior to removal will not be identified.

Avi Benayahu

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department held on the identity to be used by Mr Avi Benayahu for entering the UK prior to his entry; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Children: Protection

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how information on the effect on child welfare of the new return process will be  (a) collected and  (b) analysed.

Damian Green: An evaluation of the new family returns processes is planned for this year.
	The aims of the evaluation are to:
	1. examine the effectiveness of the overall process in achieving its stated objectives and associated Government commitments;
	2. support and challenge the new processes in order to improve them, with an emphasis on child safeguarding issues; and
	3. promote opportunities for continuous learning and improvement as the new process beds down across the agency.
	The intention is to (a) collect and  (b) analyse data, through:
	a process based assessment of the various parts of the new process-including interviews with key workers and staff.
	understanding the end to end process using interviews with families, in order to gain detailed feedback on: how families understood the options made available to them; child safeguarding/welfare issues; and for those families housed in pre-departure accommodation, their experiences of the services made available to them.

Children: Protection

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information the UK Border Agency holds on  (a) the health and welfare of children in immigration cases and  (b) the effects of their separation from their parents has in such cases.

Damian Green: The new process for managing family returns emphasises the importance of engaging with the family and understanding their heath and welfare needs. These will be recorded on a family welfare form which will be updated through the family's progress through the system. If it is appropriate the UK Border Agency will also seek information from children's services departments.
	Where a family has chosen not to leave the country voluntarily, either though an assisted voluntary returns package, under their own steam or via a self-check in return, the UK Border Agency will refer the case to an independent Family Returns Panel who will advise on the best method of ensuring their return taking account of the welfare of the children. Under the new arrangements for managing family returns, families without any criminal history would be separated by detention only in exceptional circumstances and after advice had been sought from the independent Family Returns Panel.

Children: Protection

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the UK Border Agency is taking to safeguard child welfare in cases of families separated by immigration detention.

Damian Green: Safeguarding children and concern for their welfare is a consideration in every case where an adult who is known to have children is held in immigration detention. There are three main situations involved. The most typical cases are those where a member of the family is also a former foreign national prisoner and a decision has been made to maintain their detention pending deportation. In these cases care arrangements will already be in place having been made when the sentence of imprisonment began.
	In those cases where it is necessary to detain a parent in an immigration removal centre who then states that they have a child in the community, the UK Border Agency will seek to facilitate contact between the parent and child, subject to the wishes of the family, and in liaison with the local authority where appropriate.
	Finally, under the new arrangements for managing the return of a family whose members are already together, families without any criminal history would be separated only in exceptional circumstances and after advice had been sought from the independent Family Returns Panel.

Crime: Motor Vehicles

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with representatives of the transport industry on the future of the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have had no such discussions. Home Office officials meet on a regular basis with representatives of the transport industry, including at the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS) Governance Board.

Crime: Motor Vehicles

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department provided to the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: Home Office grants to the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2008-09 200,000 
			 2009-10 300,000 
			 2010-11 300,000

Cybercrime

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has any plans to undertake a study of internet bullying and electronic harassment of individuals in England and Wales.

James Brokenshire: New questions on stalking and harassment will be included in the British Crime Survey from April 2011. This will provide a clearer picture of the incidence of stalking and harassment which involves any form of unwanted online communication or text messaging. The Home Office is also working closely with the charity Network for Surviving Stalking, which recently commissioned research in this area from the University of Bedfordshire. The results will be available in June 2011.
	The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), co-chaired by Ministers from the Home Office and Department for Education, is looking to implement policies to help users protect themselves and report unacceptable behaviour, including internet bullying.

Cybercrime

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on trends in the incidence of harassment by electronic means.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold information on trends in the incidence of harassment by electronic means. However, new questions on stalking and harassment will be included in the British Crime Survey from April 2011. This will provide a clearer picture of the incidence of stalking and harassment which involves any form of unwanted online communication or text messaging.

Departmental Compensation

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) agency and (ii) non-departmental public body for which she is responsible spent on compensation payments to members of the public for errors made by such bodies in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The Home Office, agencies and non-departmental public bodies do not separately identify compensation payments in their accounts. Because this information is not readily available an answer could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The majority of compensation payments are included within 'special payments' in the notes to the published accounts of each organisation. Special payments are both compensation and ex gratia payments made to members of the public and organisations.

Deportation: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on deportations in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency annual accounts for 2009-10 can be viewed at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/annual-reports-accounts/
	A copy has also been placed in the House Library.
	These accounts include the costs of Public Expense Removals, and also of the various voluntary removal schemes which the Agency operates. The gross costs to the Agency of removals between 2005 and 2010 are shown in Table 1; these figures include the total programme costs of the voluntary return schemes including re-integration assistance, flights and running costs. The Agency also receives funding from the EU for its removals programme and the amounts received and expected from this source are shown in Table 2 which will offset some of the gross costs.
	EU Funds received for 2008-09 and 2009-10 remain subject to audit and possible amendment.
	 Annex: Net costs of public expense and voluntary removals schemes
	
		
			  Table 1: Gross removal costs 2005-10 
			  Public Expense Removals (PERs) 
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 2.6 
			 2006-07 20.2 
			 2007-08 22.3 
			 2008-09 27.0 
			 2009-10 27.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Voluntary Removals Schemes 
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 12.6 
			 2006-07 22.2 
			 2007-08 21.7 
			 2008-09 10.8 
			 2009-10 20.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: EU Funding for Removals 2005-10 
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 2.0 
			 2006-07 3.2 
			 2007-08 3.2 
			 2008-09 6.3 
			 2009-10 4.1 
			  Note: EU funding for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is subject to audit and possible amendment.

Detention Centres: Children

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that children and families do not become destitute as a result of their progress through the new family returns process.

Damian Green: The new family returns process does not change existing arrangements to provide financial support to destitute families with children. Failed asylum seeking families with children may apply for support from the UK Border Agency which is provided under sections 4 and 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Drug Seizures: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantity of illegal drugs the Serious Organised Crime Agency has seized in  (a) the UK and  (b) Northern Ireland in each year since its inception.

James Brokenshire: The majority of drug seizures by weight resulting from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) activity are made before they reach the UK. Figures for total seizures worldwide are published in SOCA's Annual Reports. The SOCA Annual Report for 2010-11 will be published in July 2011.
	The following table contains volumes of cocaine and heroin seized by SOCA in the UK since the Agency was established in 2006. SOCA is a UK-wide organisation and does not publish seizure data by geographical area. A significant part of SOCA's operational activity in Northern Ireland is in support of the PSNI. Part of that support includes activity leading to the seizure of drugs by the PSNI.
	
		
			  Tonnes 
			   Cocaine  Heroin 
			 2006-07 2.1 0.8 
			 2007-08 0.6 0.6 
			 2008-09 0.5 0.6 
			 2009-10 0.4 1.0

Drugs: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of children aged under 15 in England who have used cannabis in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: The Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use survey among young people in England provides estimates of the proportion of secondary school children who have used cannabis. Latest figures from the 2009 survey show that 9% of pupils aged 11 to 15 years reported using cannabis in the last 12 months. For those aged under 15 the proportion for those aged 11, 12, 13 and 14 was 1%, 2%, 4% and 12%t respectively.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to respond to the UK Border Agency consultation on the student immigration system.

Damian Green: An announcement will be made as soon as possible. The results of the student consultation and an impact assessment will be published in due course.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effects on university  (a) science and  (b) engineering departments of proposals to limit the number of non-EU students studying in UK universities.

Damian Green: The results of the student consultation and an impact assessment will be published in due course. We are not intending to impose a set limit on non-EU student numbers.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the written ministerial statement of 14 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 94-96WS, on forensic science, what evidence she evaluated to determine that the size of the forensic science market would fall over the next few years.

James Brokenshire: Falls were expected as past trends showed the market contracting, police budgets previously included ring-fenced amounts to 'build up' the national DNA database and this artificially inflated the market. More efficient practices by forces have also contributed to the market contraction and this is expected to continue.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to ensure an adequate level of competition in the forensic market following the closure of the Forensic Science Service.

James Brokenshire: There are currently 11 companies, excluding the Forensic Science Service (FSS), offering services through the National Forensic Framework Agreement. This is already a competitive market and we do not believe this will change following the managed closure of the FSS. Our priority is to ensure the continued provision of effective forensic science services to the criminal justice system (CJS). We also want to see a healthy and competitive future market for forensics.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements she plans to put in place to ensure consistent standards across police forces in the conduct of in-house forensic work following the closure of the Forensic Science Service.

James Brokenshire: The forensics regulator has received support and co-operation for his quality standards from the laboratories (both private and state funded), professional bodies, prosecuting authorities, the judiciary and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), and to date, has not been hindered in dealing with any complaints about quality standards. Although there is currently no need to give the regulator powers to compel compliance with the standards, this position will be kept under review and the creation of new powers will be considered if that is appropriate.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the cost to police forces of spending on forensic laboratories and associated accreditation following the closure of the Forensic Science Service during the comprehensive spending review period.

James Brokenshire: Police force spending on forensic laboratories is controlled by police forces and police authorities. We do not believe that there will be a need for forces to increase their spending on laboratories as a result of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) closure. If forces choose to increase laboratory capacity these would need to be appropriately accredited and appropriate funding would need to be met from within their existing budgets.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the capacity of police forces to conduct a greater proportion of forensic science work in-house.

James Brokenshire: Our priority is to ensure the continued provision of effective forensic science services to the Criminal Justice System (CJS) working to the highest professional standards. We also want to see a healthy and competitive future market for forensics. We are working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and other key partners across the CJS to make decisions about how forensic services will be provided once the Forensic Science Service has ceased trading.

Forensic Science

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of forensic work that will be conducted in-house by police forces following the closure of the Forensic Science Service; and what assessment she has made of the potential effects of the Police Act 1996 (Equipment) Regulations 2011 on the level of forensic science work that will be outsourced to the private sector during the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

James Brokenshire: We are working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and other key partners across the Criminal Justice System to make decisions about how forensic services will be provided once the Forensic Science Service has ceased trading. The Police Act 1996 (Equipment) Regulations 2011 deal only with the procurement of specified categories of equipment by the police service and will have no effect on the outsourcing of forensic science work. Proposals for separate services regulations that would require the police service to use the national framework for forensic analysis services to purchase forensic services have currently been put on hold.

Forensic Science: Terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the availability of expertise in terrorism events in the commercial forensic science sector.

James Brokenshire: Operational continuity is one of the main objectives of the transition process. Where functions do not already exist outside the Forensic Science Service we will look at the possibility of transferring these functions and expertise.

Forensic Science: Terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which commercial providers will be responsible for the provision of forensic science for terrorism cases following the closure of the Forensic Science Service; and what process she plans to use to determine the selection of such providers.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is working with a wide range of stakeholders through the Forensic Transition Board to consider options for forensic provision after the Forensic Science Service wind up is completed, with a view to ensuring operational continuity is secured.

Human Trafficking

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking in accordance with Article 6 of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings to discourage demand for trafficking of people for forced labour.

Damian Green: Discouraging demand for people becoming victims of trafficking for forced labour is an important element of a successful approach to combating trafficking for forced labour. We work closely with voluntary organisations involved in awareness-raising and provide educational programmes in schools emphasising the importance of equality and mutual respect.
	The Government are committed to providing effective protection for workers against abuses of basic workplace rights, and to ensuring that reputable businesses are not undercut by those trying to avoid their legal responsibilities.
	The UK Border Agency takes robust action against employers of illegal workers and by taking action against businesses that flout the law we are able to crack down on illegal working, one of the drivers of forced labour.

Human Trafficking

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  who is carrying out the review into whether the UK should opt in to the European Directive on Human Trafficking; and what consultations have been carried out as part of the review;
	(2)  when she expects the review into whether the UK should opt in to the European Directive on Human Trafficking to be concluded.

Damian Green: The Government decided not to opt in to the European Directive on Human Trafficking at the outset, but to review their position in line with the revised text. That process is now complete and I have written to the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees notifying them of our intention to apply to opt in.

Human Trafficking

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures her Department has in place to combat the trafficking of  (a) people,  (b) weapons and  (c) drugs.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency, Police, Serious Organised Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs work together at local, regional, national and international levels sharing intelligence and resources as appropriate, in order to understand the nature of the threat to the UK from all these forms of trafficking and to prevent and detect them.

Identity and Passport Service: Ripon

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) meetings were held with whom and  (b) other consultations took place on the closure of the Ripon Identity and Passport Service office.

Damian Green: On 18 January 2011, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) completed a 90-day consultative consultation process with staff and trade unions on the future structure of the Interview Office Network, which includes the interview office at Ripon. As part of the formal consultation process, IPS met with trade union representatives and with staff on a regular basis. Letters were sent to Members of Parliament in whose constituency an interview office was located on 14 October 2010 setting out proposals for restructuring.
	On 16 March 2011, the chief executive of IPS wrote to Members of Parliament with a passport interview facility in their constituency and to Members of Parliament and elected representatives to the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales who responded to the consultation process. The letter set out the final decision in the light of the outcome of the consultation process. Full details of the restructure and the summary of responses to the consultation can be found on the IPS website at:
	http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/files/ips/live/assets/documents/ION_Summary__responses_.pdf

Inter-departmental Ministerial Group on Missing Persons

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since May 2010 the Inter-departmental Ministerial Group on Missing Persons has met; who chairs the group; and which Departments are represented in the group.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to improving services to missing persons and their families and I acknowledge that successful delivery in this arena requires an effective response across a range of Departments and agencies.
	Good progress has been made in taking forward relevant recommendations from the Missing Persons Taskforce report and I can confirm that I have already met with my counterparts at the Departments of Health and Education to ensure we are working effectively to tackle these issues. I am committed to continuing to meet with them as and when there is a need, and to including Ministers from the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Justice when required.

Metals: Theft

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of metal theft in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The British Transport Police estimated in September 2010 that the total cost of metal theft amounted to at least £770 million annually, covering both the public and private sectors.

Metals: Theft

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the British Transport Police on metal theft.

James Brokenshire: I have had a meeting with senior representatives of the British Transport police to discuss metal theft.

Military Aircraft: Fuels

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of road fuel tankers stolen in each calendar month since January 2010.

James Brokenshire: Information on the number of road fuel tankers stolen is not collected centrally. Such offences would be recorded under the classification of 'theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle'. However, the recorded crime statistics are based on aggregate data and it is therefore not possible to separately identify the types of vehicle stolen or their contents.

Public Bodies Reform Programme

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate she has made of the savings to her Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from  (a) the abolition of three public bodies within her Department's area of responsibility and  (b) the merger of two such bodies.

Damian Green: holding answer 21 March 2011
	The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Maude) issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 9-10WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	Overall administrative reductions from reform of all Home Office non-departmental public bodies are estimated to be £94 million over the spending review period. This figure is based on current planning assumptions.
	The Home Office is not yet in a position to estimate net overall administrative savings from structural reforms. The main structural reform will be the creation of the National Crime Agency. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) will publish a statement shortly about how the National Crime Agency will operate.

Robbery

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the roundtable on crime involving cash and valuables in transit convened by her Department last met.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office roundtable on cash and valuables in transit met on 21 March 2011.

Robbery

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of recent trends in the theft of cash from vehicles in transit.

James Brokenshire: According to industry data for 2010, there were 751 offences against cash and valuables in transit vehicles; a decrease of 29% from 1,060 offences in 2009. This compares to 1,000 offences in 2008 and 1,059 offences in 2007.

Smuggling: Fuels

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what volume of illegal fuels the Serious Organised Crime Agency has seized in Northern Ireland in each year since its inception.

James Brokenshire: It is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to deal with fuel smuggling. The Serious Organised Crime Agency has not seized any fuel since its inception, but supports HMRC's operational activity as required. Collaborative law enforcement activity against organised crime in Northern Ireland is driven by the cross-agency Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF).

Stress

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place in her Department to  (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and  (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress.

Damian Green: The Home Office policy for managing the risk factors of work-related stress is based on the industry recognised Health and Safety Executives Management Standards approach. In addition we have introduced a Wellbeing Framework to promote the wellbeing of staff at work. The Department's policy requires all line managers to play their part in reducing and managing the risk factors which lead to workplace stress, and where stress occurs, to identify and address the root causes. Information on our policy and well-being framework, as well as supporting guidance and e-learning packages, are available to line managers and staff on our intranet.
	The Home Office has in place an Employee Assistance Programme which provides a confidential 24 hour/365 days telephone line staffed by fully qualified counsellors, to staff and their dependents on a range of issues including stress. In addition the Department may also refer individual cases to its Occupational Health Service provider, where the line manager and the Department need independent medical advice.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what development work is being undertaken by UK armed forces in Afghanistan.

Nick Harvey: The Department for International Development is the lead UK Department on development activity in Afghanistan. The armed forces support stabilisation efforts in Helmand through military stabilisation support teams (MSSTs), which are a key component of the joint civil-military Helmand provincial reconstruction team.
	The MSSTs work with their civilian counterparts in the provincial reconstruction team to identify and aid in the delivery of stabilisation projects, and provide a foundation for broader development activities.

Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial savings his Department expects to make from the abolition of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee.

Peter Luff: In my statement to the House on 21 July 2010,  Official Report, column 15WS, I set out my intention to dissolve the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC). Given that the AWAC has not met since 2007, there will be no direct financial savings compared with recent years.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent of the entitlement of members of the armed forces under the age of 18 years and three months to discharge themselves without notice; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The current arrangements covering the right to discharge for those personnel under the age of 18 have been considered in the course of the passage of the recent Armed Forces Bill and found to remain appropriate. This policy will continue to be monitored.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the recruitment age for the armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 18 March 2011
	 The United Kingdom armed forces will accept applications from individuals from the age of 16, depending upon which service they wish to join. The upper age limit for recruitment in the regular armed forces is dependent upon which career the individual wishes to pursue. This policy continues to be monitored.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 1 March 2011, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force announced on 1 March 2011.

Andrew Robathan: As a result of the financial situation inherited from the previous Government it was necessary to announce significant reductions to both civilian and military personnel as part of the strategic defence and security review. The costs of redundancies will depend on detailed implementation of these reductions, which will include early release and natural wastage, as well as redundancies. Estimates are subject to change and the Ministry of Defence is therefore not in a position to provide detailed figures at this time.

Armed Forces: Young People

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he acts in loco parentis for members of the armed forces who are under the age of 18 years.

Andrew Robathan: No. While there is a clear duty of care for all personnel, the Secretary of State and the Chiefs of Staff do not act in loco parentis to those aged under 18.

Armed Forces: Young People

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there is guidance in place for commanding officers on their use of discretion with respect to his Department's policy which provides for a person under the age of 18 years who has shown a genuine and persistent unhappiness with service life to be discharged outside of their statutory right to leave within the first six months; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Guidance, including Queen's Regulations, single-service communications and centrally issued defence information notices, is issued to outline the commanding officer's role in considering the discharge of a person under the age of 18. commanding officers are encouraged to treat such cases sympathetically. Officials are currently reviewing these communications to ensure that guidance is clear and unambiguous.

Departmental Ministerial Special Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Andrew Robathan: Special adviser numbers and pay bands were released by the Cabinet Office; the information is available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	The website lists the names of the special advisers in post in each Department and details each special adviser's pay band, actual salary where it is £58,200 or higher, together with details of special advisers' pay ranges for 2010-11. It also shows the total pay bill cost of special advisers for the period up to 31 March 2011. The estimated pay bill includes pension costs, and details of pension arrangements are set out in the "Model contract for Special Advisers", available at the same link.

Departmental Pay

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the potential savings resulting from the changes to allowances and bonuses announced on 20 January 2011 in  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13,  (c) 2013-14 and  (d) 2014-15.

Andrew Robathan: The estimates requested are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Estimated savings (£ million) 
			 2011-12 100 
			 2012-13 170 
			 2013-14 230 
			 2014-15 250 
		
	
	The figures provided include the estimated savings made as a result of changes to allowances announced by my the Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) on 16 December 2010,  Official Report, column 116WS, and those which I announced on 20 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 45-47WS.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private finance initiative projects sponsored by his Department have been funded from the Exchequer due to a shortfall in funds in each year since 1997; and how much funding was provided in each case.

Andrew Robathan: Since 1997, there have been no Ministry of Defence private finance initiative projects that have required additional funding from HM Treasury.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which public bodies sponsored by his Department  (a) have been and  (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), on 21 July 2010,  Official Report, column 15WS. This announced the abolition of the Animal Welfare Advisory Body. The proposals for the majority of bodies across all Departments was subsequently announced and published on 14 October 2010. An updated list reflecting changes since October 2010 has been published by the Cabinet Office and can be downloaded from:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/ndpb
	The Animal Welfare Advisory Committee had not sat since 2007 and one public appointment (male) was affected by its abolition.

Departmental Rail Travel

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK.

Andrew Robathan: While civil servants who are pay band C2/higher executive officer (HEO) and above are technically entitled to first-class rail travel when travelling on official duty; they have since late 2009, forgone that entitlement and been asked to travel standard class unless there are exceptional circumstances. In such cases this must be endorsed by a senior line manager. Staff at C2/HEO and above represent 30% of the work force. All staff must ensure they get the best value for money when making their travel arrangements (for example, by booking tickets in advance and avoiding where possible flexible and open return tickets).

Departmental Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence routinely holds meetings with businesses of all sizes, both individually and via their trade associations, as part of its regular consultation with industry. We do not hold meetings specifically to discuss proposed new regulations, as we are not a regulatory Department.
	We are particularly aware that the UK's defence capabilities rely on many thousands of small and medium-scale enterprises and have recently announced plans to increase their ability to engage with Minsters and officials, through the new Defence Suppliers Forum.

Hotels

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's expenditure was on hotel accommodation for  (a) officials,  (b) Ministers and  (c) special advisers in each month since January 2009.

Andrew Robathan: Information available on the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s expenditure on hotel accommodation is as follows:
	
		
			  Officials 
			  Month  Expenditure (£) 
			  2009  
			 January 1,205,511 
			 February 1,422,030 
			 March 1,733,053 
			 April 1,127,684 
			 May 1,438,426 
			 June 1,446,285 
			 July 1,565,474 
			 August 983,825 
			 September 1,191,520 
			 October 1,455,565 
			 November 1,326,392 
			 December 892,960 
			  2010  
			 January 598,377 
			 February 878,861 
			 March 1,184,851 
			 April 720,111 
			 May 850,764 
			 June 980,177 
			 July 1,027,671 
			 August 726,718 
			 September 896,716 
			 October 984,761 
			 November 1,214,982 
			 December 722,189 
			   
			  2011  
			 January 694,639 
			 February 849,351 
		
	
	 Ministers
	We do not hold the information in the format requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost as all bills for accommodation would need to be analysed manually to extract the information sought.
	
		
			  Special advisers 
			  Month  Expenditure (£) 
			 January 2009 47 
			 February 2009 0 
			 March 2009 476 
			 April 2009 0 
			 May 2009 188 
			 June 2009 542 
			 July 2009 to January 2010 0 
			 February 2010 272 
			 March to June 2010 0 
			 July 2010 74 
			 August and September 2010 0 
			 October 2010 281 
			 November and December 2010 0 
			 January 2011 75 
			 February 2011 482 
		
	
	The figures for officials and special advisers reflect the amount reimbursed for the cost of hotel rooms and any meals or refreshments that can be identified as taken in the hotel. They do not include payments for hotel accommodation made by Government Procurement Card (where no distinction is made between service staff, officials and special advisers or between different types of overnight accommodation) or other subsistence costs related to the official duty necessitating the overnight stay or other subsistence costs related to the official duty necessitating the overnight stay in the hotel (such information is not recorded by type of overnight accommodation).
	We constantly seek to get the best value for money out of our travel arrangements and maximise the MOD's corporate leverage in the business travel market.

Military Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Royal Navy has for the purchase of maritime patrol aircraft.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence is currently conducting a capability investigation into its long-term requirements for a wide area maritime surveillance capability, which will report in September 2011. We currently have no plans to procure a maritime patrol aircraft.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of customer satisfaction was most recently recorded by his Department in respect of Ministry of Defence Police in defence community police officer roles.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence Police customer satisfaction survey 2010 recorded a satisfaction rate of 92.3% for Defence community police officers.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget for the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency functions is in respect of  (a) defence business continuity,  (b) defensive armed policing,  (c) uniformed policing,  (d) guarding and  (e) crime investigation in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The following table provides the budget for the identified Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency functions for the last five financial years:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Defence Business Continuity  Defensive Armed Policing  Uniformed Policing  Guarding  Crime Investigation 
			 2006-07 (1)- 86.000 3.300 103.300 8.800 
			 2007-08 10.309 60.252 1.893 117.114 10.776 
			 2008-09 11.181 63.311 2.197 118.095 11.115 
			 2009-10 11.258 62.747 2.212 117.950 11.191 
			 2010-11 8.998 54.072 4.485 98.511 11.132 
			 (1) Not recorded

Radioactive Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department project increases in aerial and liquid discharges of tritium from the defence sector in the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges.

Peter Luff: I will write to the hon. Member.

Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the future arrangements for contractor management and operation of the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been assessing options on how best to sustain elements of strategic weapons systems support at Coulport in the future. On current plans, a decision is expected later this year. The safety, security and effectiveness of the UK's strategic deterrent remain paramount. Irrespective of the outcome, Coulport will remain under the ownership and control of the MOD.

Sealand

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister in his Department took the decision to refuse access to the Defence Support Group site at Sealand to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 21 March 2011
	No Minister made any decision to refuse the hon. Member access to the Defence Support Group (DSG)'s site at Sealand in his constituency of Alyn and Deeside. The hon. Member has previously visited the site on several occasions for business updates and discussions with DSG's senior management and trade unions. However, any visit to a Ministry of Defence site requires the prior approval of the appropriate Defence Minister in advance. I know that if he contacts the office of DSG's chief executive then a mutually convenient date for a visit may then be arranged.

Trident

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken to pass the initial gate stage on the 2016 start date for construction of the first Trident replacement submarine in 2016.

Peter Luff: We expect an announcement on initial gate in the coming weeks. As the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) said on 14 March 2011,  Official Report, column 8:
	"there remain ongoing discussions, which have simply taken longer then it was anticipated a few weeks ago. It is important, given the size of the project, that we get the decision right."
	There has been no change to our plan to build the first Trident replacement submarine, outlined in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, as a result of the short delay to initial gate.

Trident

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures have been introduced to ensure that the decision on Trident taken at initial gate will ensure the cost effectiveness of the process of renewing the independent nuclear deterrent.

Peter Luff: Following the value for money study, we took a number of decisions during the strategic defence and security review (SDSR) to ensure that the successor deterrent programme will be delivered effectively. These included deferring the in-service date of the submarine to 2028, reducing the number of operational missiles and warheads and improving the way we work with industry under the submarine enterprise performance programme.
	We have also previously announced that we will work with the US to deliver a common missile compartment for the successor submarine, which will reduce costs through the sharing of development costs.
	The decision taken during the SDSR allowed us to save and defer £3.2 billion over the next 10 years.

TREASURY

Public Expenditure Reductions

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the pace of proposed reductions in public expenditure to take into account the GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2010.

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the pace of proposed reductions in public expenditure to take into account the GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2010.

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the pace of proposed reductions in public expenditure to take into account the GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2010.

Danny Alexander: Deficit Reduction is a pre requisite for sustainable economic growth. While recognising the recovery could prove choppy, the Government are committed to the consolidation programme announced in the June Budget and providing the conditions for growth.
	The UK economy grew by 1.3% in 2010 and the OBR's November 2010 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which takes into account all the measures announced in the June Budget and spending review, forecasts the economy to grow in every year of the forecast to 2015-16.

Petrol Prices

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of trends in duty and value added tax on petrol.

Justine Greening: The previous Administration raised fuel duty 12 times while in office, including on four occasions between December 2008 and April 2010, proposed introducing a fuel escalator from 2011, and planned for a further series of six consecutive fuel duty rises of nearly 6p in total plus rises linked to inflation in each year up to 2014.
	The standard rate of value added tax was increased to 20% in order to help tackle the fiscal deficit that was inherited from the previous Administration.

Inflation

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce the rate of inflation.

Justine Greening: The independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England is responsible for maintaining price stability and achieving the 2% annual inflation target set by the Government.
	The remit for the MPC allows it to look through short-term movements in inflation that are driven by temporary shocks. The MPC continues to judge inflation is likely to fall back during 2012 due to the effects of spare capacity in the economy.

Bank Bonuses

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for a further tax on bank bonuses.

Mark Hoban: We have been clear that we want the banks to make a greater contribution to the Exchequer, which is why we introduced the permanent banking levy. The reality is that, in steady state, the bank levy will raise more revenue every year from the banking sector than the bank payroll tax.
	The hon. Member should remember the words of the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling), who said that the bank payroll tax did not work.

Economic Growth: Kent

Helen Grant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures he has taken to support economic growth in Kent.

Danny Alexander: This Government have taken steps to tackle the big issues that matter for growth, and macroeconomic stability: to ensure access to finance for SMEs and to protect incentives for innovation; to reform the skills and labour market systems; to ensure the UK tax regime is competitive; and to prioritise investment in infrastructure.
	The Local Growth White Paper published last October provides the framework through which we will deliver growth at the local level, including powerful incentives for local authorities to go for growth.

Manufacturing

Amber Rudd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures he is taking to support economic growth in the manufacturing sector.

Justine Greening: The June Budget announced reductions in the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 24% over four years, and of the small profits rate from 21% to 20%. The manufacturing sector is expected to gain over £250 million annually when the package is fully implemented. The Budget and growth review will set out further details of the Government's plan for sustainable, private sector-led, balanced growth.

HM Revenue and Customs

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the contribution of HM Revenue and Customs to reducing the budget deficit.

David Gauke: The scale of the deficit means there has never been a more important time for HMRC to be more efficient and flexible in dealing with customers and more effective in bringing in revenues.
	HMRC's spending review 2010 (SR10) settlement reflects the vital dual role that HMRC plays in reducing the deficit.
	HMRC will make significant savings-reducing costs by 25%, including a 33% reduction in administrative costs and reduce capital spend by 25% compared to 2010-11, but will also reinvest £917 million of these savings to tackle avoidance, evasion and fraud.
	For SR10 HMRC will bring in additional revenues in each year of the SR rising to £7 billion a year by 2014-15. The total additional revenues from tackling tax avoidance, evasion and fraud over the SR period is £18 billion. Additionally, HMRC is committed to reducing fraud and error in the tax credit system by £2 billion a year.

VAT: Retail Industry

Eric Joyce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on consumer confidence of the increase in the standard rate of value added tax since his recent meeting with representatives of the retail industry.

David Gauke: Sustainable public finances will increase consumer confidence in the medium-term.
	Decisive action taken by the Government in the spending review and June Budget including the increase in VAT, will put the public finances and spending on a sustainable footing.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether liquefied petroleum gas will be included in his application to the European Commission for a rural fuel duty rebate pilot scheme.

Justine Greening: Liquefied petroleum gas for road use is a fuel type with an existing UK wide duty discount. The Government intend to submit a formal proposal to the European Commission for a pilot scheme that will deliver a maximum of five pence per litre duty discount on petrol and diesel in remote rural areas.

Income Tax: Underpayments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the recovery by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of underpaid income tax where the underpayment was caused by an error or errors made by HMRC; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Extra Statutory Concession A19 (ESC A19) sets out the conditions that must be met before HMRC can forgo the recovery of income tax underpayments. The concession requires the underpayment to have arisen as a result of HMRCs failure to make proper and timely use of information provided. It also requires the individual to show that they had reasonable belief that their tax affairs were in order.

Individual Savings Accounts: Children

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many expressions of interest in his proposed junior ISA his Department has received via the direct.gov portal.

Mark Hoban: Information on Junior ISAs is available to members of the public on the Directgov website. However it is not possible, on this website, to record expressions of interest in Junior ISAs.
	The Government continue to consult with a wide range of interested stakeholders on Junior ISAs.

Means-tested Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of working heads of family in receipt of income-related benefits or tax credits, facing a marginal rate of deduction of over  (a) 60 per cent.,  (b) 70 per cent.,  (c) 71 per cent.,  (d) 72 per cent.,  (e) 73 per cent.,  (f) 75 per cent.,  (g) 76 per cent.,  (h) 77 per cent.,  (i) 78 per cent.,  (j) 79 per cent. and  (k) 80 per cent. in (i) 2010-11 and 2011-12 as a result of the March 2010 Budget and (ii) 2011-12 as a result of the June 2010 Budget.

David Gauke: The following table sets out our estimate of the numbers of working heads of family in receipt of income-related benefits or tax credits facing a marginal rate of deduction in excess of the requested thresholds.
	
		
			  Marginal deduction rates( 1)  2010-11  2011-12( 2)  2011-12( 3) 
			  Over
			 80% 270,000 335,000 330,000 
			 79% 270,000 335,000 330,000 
			 78% 270,000 335,000 335,000 
			 77% 275,000 335,000 335,000 
			 76% 275,000 360,000 355,000 
			 75% 315,000 365,000 360,000 
			 73% 330,000 365,000 360,000 
			 72% 330,000 365,000 1,705,000 
			 71% 330,000 365,000 1,710,000 
			 70% 330,000 1,680,000 1,710,000 
			 60% 1,895,000 1,895,000 1,935,000 
			 (1) Marginal deduction rates are for working heads of families in receipt of income-related benefits or tax credits where at least one person works 16 hours or more a week, and the head of the family is not receiving pensioner or disability premia. (2) Following March 2010 Budget. (3) Following June 2010 Budget  Note: Figures are cumulative. Estimates for the 2011-12 tax benefit system are calibrated to tax credit statistics for April 2010, and earlier data for housing and council tax benefits. 
		
	
	At spending review, the Government announced the new universal credit introduced over two Parliaments, which will replace the current complex system of means-tested working-age benefits with a simple streamlined payment. The universal credit will improve financial work incentives by ensuring that support is reduced at a consistent and managed marginal deduction rate (generally at no more than around 76p in the pound as compared with 96p currently) as people return to work and increase their working hours and earnings.

Members: Correspondence

Amber Rudd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 6 December 2010 Ref AR/JA/243 on behalf of constituents Mr and Mrs Gordon.

David Gauke: I replied to the hon. Member on 10 March 2011.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is reviewing the application of business rates to empty property as part of the Budget process.

David Gauke: As with all taxes and reliefs HM Treasury keeps the application of business rates to empty property under review.

Public Sector: Pensions

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what legal advice he and his colleagues have received on proposals to change the basis of index linking of public sector pensions already in payment, including on amendments to such schemes whose members made a specific contribution in return for index linking in a particular way.

Danny Alexander: Where relevant the Government consider legal advice before announcing and implementing new policies. In line with longstanding practices and to protect legal privilege this advice is not released.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to bring forward legislation for a transferable tax allowance for married couples; whether the allowance will be available to  (a) couples without children,  (b) civil partners and  (c) cohabiting couples; and whether HM Revenue and Customs holds information to enable the production of lists of (i) single earner and (ii) dual earner couple households.

David Gauke: Proposals that recognise marriage and civil partnerships in the income tax system will be brought forward by the Chancellor at the appropriate time.
	HMRC does not hold information on individuals' household status, with the exception of tax credit recipients.

Taxation: Football

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the sums owed to the Exchequer by football clubs in the Premier League and Football League at the end of the 2009-10 tax year.

David Gauke: In response to a recent Freedom of Information request HMRC released the following information about the amount of direct and indirect tax outstanding as at 30 April 2010. This is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Division  Direct tax outstanding  Indirect tax outstanding 
			 Premier League 5,779,948 8,607,106 
			 Football League (inc. Championship) 6,059,617 1,348,854 
			 Total 11,839,565 9.955,960 
		
	
	These totals only include PAYE/NIC and VAT and are only a snapshot, valid only on the date taken and, as with any snapshot, the amounts are likely to have been significantly different if taken on a different day as liabilities can become due and payments can be made on a daily basis.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain: Human Rights

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Bahrain on the protection of human rights during periods of unrest; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Government are gravely concerned about the security situation in Bahrain and are monitoring the situation closely. The Prime Minister spoke by telephone to King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on 15 March, calling on the King of Bahrain to end the violent suppression of street protests in Bahrain.
	The Secretary State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, spoke to Bahraini Foreign Minister H.E. Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa on 16 March, and expressed serious concern at the situation on the ground and urged for restraint on all sides and the need to return to law and order to enable genuine political reform.

BBC World Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2011,  Official Report, column 270W, on the BBC World Service, how many representations overseas UK embassies have received on the reductions in the BBC World Service.

Jeremy Browne: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Anniversaries

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will represent the Government at the Srebrenica anniversary commemorations in Bosnia on 11 July 2011.

David Lidington: No decision has yet been taken in respect of our representation at the 2011 Srebrenica anniversary commemorations. In 2010 the Government was represented by Lady Warsi, Minister without Portfolio.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Anniversaries

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department have had with representatives of the survivors of the Srebrenica massacre; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: Our embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has periodic contacts with representatives of survivors groups. The Government have condemned, on many occasions, the appalling acts of genocide committed at Srebrenica. At the 15(th) anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica, the Prime Minister stated that:
	"We must never forget the act of genocide that happened at Srebrenica. It was a crime that shamed Europe. We are committed to bringing those responsible to justice".
	Through our programme funding, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides financial support to fund international personnel working in the Srebrenica team in the State Prosecutors Office in BiH. These staff have contributed to the successful prosecution of war crimes cases relating to events in Srebrenica in 1995. The FCO has also provided support to the work of the International Commission of Missing Persons in BiH in identifying the remains of victims of the genocide at Srebrenica. The FCO has contributed to the cost of the Memorial Centre in Srebrenica. It has also supported work on infrastructure reconstruction and socio-economic activities to support sustainable return in the Srebrenica area.

Cote d'Ivoire: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Cote d'Ivoire on the killing of demonstrators in Abidjan on 3 March 2011.

William Hague: I condemn the violence which led to the loss of innocent lives on 3 March 2011. Those responsible must answer for their actions, and we support calls for an international commission of inquiry into this and other instances of violence during the political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.
	We are in regular contact with President Ouattara and his Ministers, including on the human rights situation through our diplomatic representation in Abidjan. I spoke to President Ouattara last night. The UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva spoke to President Ouattara's Foreign Minister, M. Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais on 14 March 2011 about the situation.
	I call on all sides in Cote d'Ivoire to exercise restraint and avoid further violence. Mr Gbagbo must respect the voices of the Ivorian population and the united international community to step aside and allow a peaceful transfer of power.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Females

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo on steps to counter sexual violence against women and children in that country.

Henry Bellingham: While in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last year, I met Foreign Minister Thambwe and urged the Government of the DRC to implement fully President Kabila's zero tolerance policy on perpetrators of sexual violence. I also stressed to other DRC Ministers that the DRC's human rights record must improve. On 23 February 2011, I welcomed the convictions of the senior commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mutuare Daniel Kibibi, and eight other Congolese soldiers responsible for the terrible rapes at Fizi in January 2011. Our embassy in Kinshasa also maintains close links with the Ministry of Gender, Family and Children including through the funding of a gender adviser posted in the Ministry.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Females

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to assist women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are at risk of sexual violence.

Henry Bellingham: We are making considerable efforts towards helping victims of sexual violence. We continue to lobby the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to implement their zero tolerance policy on sexual violence and end impunity for these appalling crimes. We have lobbied hard to ensure protection of civilians is the UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in the DRC's (MONUSCO) top priority. The UK's assessed contribution to MONUSCO is around £62 million per year. The UK has also provided in excess of £35 million to the United Nations' Humanitarian Pooled Fund for DRC, which funds medical and psychological care for victims. The UK National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was published in November 2010 and includes a specific sub-plan covering UK assistance to the DRC.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which public bodies sponsored by his Department  (a) have been and  (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following his appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence.

Jeremy Browne: The Government are committed to increasing the accountability of public bodies, and this involves reducing their number and their cost to the taxpayer. The proposals for the majority of bodies across all departments was announced and published on 14 October 2010. An updated list reflecting changes since October 2010 has been published on the Cabinet Office website this month.
	Summary information on public appointments is published annually by the Cabinet Office. This includes data on gender. Copies of the most recent report can be downloaded from
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/ndpb

Departmental Rail Travel

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK.

Alistair Burt: We have common rules for rail travel for all grades, so where there is an entitlement to first class travel it is the same for all staff.
	All staff travel standard class where the published one way rail journey time is less than five hours, unless there are exceptional circumstances such as illness, disability or where first class facilities are essential for working while travelling.
	First class rail travel is otherwise only permitted on rail journeys within the UK that are five hours or longer by the quickest and shortest route. In the past 12 months, 99 percent of all railway journeys made by staff within the UK were in standard class.

Egypt: Politics and Government

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the steps taken by his international partners to ensure that the views of the Egyptian people are fully taken into account before any change to the constitution of that country is made.

Alistair Burt: There is broad consensus between the UK, European member states and other international partners on policy towards Egypt. The European Council Conclusions of 31 January 2011 made clear that the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Egyptian people should be listened to carefully and addressed through urgent, concrete and decisive measures. Following the referendum on Constitutional reform on 19 March 2011, it will be vital to sustain support for genuine political reform, with a fully inclusive process. It is also important that a credible election timetable is set out.

Indonesia: Religious Freedom

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Indonesian counterpart on  (a) freedom of religion and  (b) violence against religious minorities.

Jeremy Browne: We have strong relations with the Government of Indonesia and this includes raising any issues of concern, including freedom of religion, both bilaterally and through the EU. On 11 February 2011 our chargé d'affaires in Jakarta discussed our concerns of the recent attacks on the Ahmadiyya community and churches in central Java with senior officials at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We stressed the importance of ensuring that there was a full investigation and that those responsible be brought to account.
	The EU issued a public statement expressing its concerns on 8 February 2011. The importance of tackling discrimination and ensuring protection for minority communities was a focus of discussion at the most recent EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels on 9 March 2011.

Japan: Tsunami

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingency arrangements he  (a) has and  (b) plans to put in place to (i) provide consular support for and (ii) assist with the evacuation of British nationals in Japan.

William Hague: holding answer 21 March 2011
	Our Consular Crisis Centre in London and consular teams at two locations in Japan (Tokyo, and Osaka) have been working round the clock to provide assistance and advice to British nationals. In Japan we are providing an enhanced package of consular assistance for British nationals directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami, including financial support for people who need essentials such as food, accommodation and clothing, assistance with medical treatment, telephone calls home, and travel both within and out of Japan.

Libya

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of his Department are based in  (a) Libya and  (b) Tripoli.

Alistair Burt: All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff in Libya are based at our embassy in Tripoli. In light of the deteriorating situation in Libya, operations at our embassy in Tripoli were suspended on 26 February 2011. Before operations were suspended, there were approximately 80 FCO employees at our embassy in Tripoli. This figure includes UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. We continue to employ our locally engaged staff in Tripoli but they are not able to perform their normal duties in current circumstances. UK-based staff from our embassy in Tripoli continue to monitor the situation in Libya, reinforcing the Libya team at the FCO in London.
	For operational and security reasons, we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on levels of arms smuggling into Gaza; what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Government of Israel,  (b) the Palestinian Authority,  (c) the Government of Egypt, (d) the Arab League,  (e) the Government of Jordan,  (f) his EU counterparts and  (g) the United Nations Secretary General on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: Despite the efforts of Israel, Egypt and the international community, weapons continue to be smuggled into Gaza. We continue to work with the international community to support all efforts to implement the steps set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1860 of January 2009, including the prevention and interdiction of illicitly trafficked arms into Gaza and the alleviation of the humanitarian and economic situation. Officials from a number of countries, including the UK, US and Israel, met in Rome on 9 and 10 February 2011 to take forward this work.

Middle East: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has commissioned research on the role of  (a) social media and  (b) satellite television in the recent unrest in the Middle East.

William Hague: Social media and satellite television are a fundamental part of today's networked world. Their role in the middle east is of great interest to us, particularly in light of recent events, and is an important focus of the political reporting which informs our internal policy development. It is also the subject of widely available external research and analysis.

Middle East: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the promotion of democracy in the middle east; what recent discussions he has had with the Arab League on this issue; what response was received; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' speech during the debate on the middle east and north Africa in the House on 17 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 494-583.
	An unprecedented wave of change is sweeping across the Arab world. Almost every middle eastern country has been affected by demands for greater openness and freedom.
	Reform must be a home-grown process, and leadership must come from within countries. However, the international community, including the UK, can play a positive role in supporting the countries of the middle east put in place the building blocks for more open, plural and free societies.
	As part of the UK's long-term approach, on 8 February 2011 in Tunisia, the Secretary of State announced the launch of the Arab Partnership to support the reforms the countries of the region need for a stable and prosperous future. This is not about imposing Western democratic models and prescribing outcomes, but about promoting more open societies.
	I also discussed progress towards democratisation with Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab League, and senior Egyptian figures during his visit to Cairo from 9-11 March 2011.

Middle East: Politics and Government

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, said in his speech to the House during the debate on 17 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 494-583, an unprecedented wave of change is sweeping across the Arab world triggering a series of simultaneous crises. In Egypt and Tunisia this has led to new Governments and hope of a more democratic future. In Libya, legitimate protest has been followed by bloody civil strife, at the hands of a Government willing to countenance any loss of life in order to retain power. There is continued unrest in Bahrain, and deep instability in Yemen. And we expect further instability in the region in the coming weeks.
	Our immediate priorities remain the welfare of British nationals as well as the need to support dialogue and political reform. Across the region, we continue to press Governments bilaterally and through the EU and UN to respond to the legitimate aspirations of their people for greater political and economic freedom. In Tunisia the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, announced our new Arab Partnership which will support the development of the core building blocks of more open democratic societies, including a free media, broad political participation and private sector development. The United Kingdom will continue to press for progress on the Middle East Peace Process. Our work to tackle Iran's nuclear threat also remains vital.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of religious freedom in Pakistan.

William Hague: We monitor closely the issue of religious freedom in Pakistan. We are concerned about intolerance and violence perpetrated against minority groups and that public debate around issues of religious freedom has become difficult.
	The Minister for South Asia (Alistair Burt), raised issues of religious freedom with the Pakistan high commissioner in London, and Baroness Warsi discussed these issues with a number of senior Pakistani leaders during her visit in February. The British high commissioner to Pakistan, Adam Thomson, has also raised this issue with the Government of Pakistan. We will continue to engage with the authorities in Pakistan on these issues as part of our wider human rights work.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent support he has provided to moderate forces in the Palestinian Territories; what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and  (b) the Secretary of State for International Development on the provision of funding for moderate forces in the Palestinian Territories; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: The UK provides financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA). President Abbas underlined during his recent visit to the UK his commitment to peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the 2010-11 financial year, the Department for International Development's (DFID) support has totalled £31.1 million: £30 million in direct financial assistance and £1.1 million for technical assistance to the Ministries of Planning and Finance.
	In addition the UK is supporting capacity building and leadership training for the Palestinian Authority Security Forces. Support in the 2010-11 financial year (from a tri-departmental conflict pool) totalled £2.759 million. The majority of this work is delivered by the British support team in Ramallah, which works with the PA to raise the standards of the security agencies. This includes International Committee of the Red Cross human rights training for senior and intermediate PA security officers.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, DFID and HM Treasury work closely on these issues at both official and ministerial level.

Population

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on  (a) permitting and  (b) promoting the provision by Government agencies of technical support to overseas countries seeking (i) information on and (ii) control over their domestic population.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 21 March 2011
	We place the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law at the heart of our foreign policy. Human rights are essential to, and indivisible from our foreign policy objectives. The Government consider requests for technical support from other countries on a case by case basis, taking account of risks at all levels and in line with foreign policy objectives and values.

Serbia: War Crimes

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Serbian counterpart on the extradition of Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Government remain acutely conscious of the importance of the need to apprehend the remaining International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) fugitives and raises this issue regularly with Serbia.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, met Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic in Belgrade in September 2010 and then in London in November 2010. On both occasions he made clear that the Government expect Serbia's full co-operation with the ICTY including exerting maximum effort to apprehend Mladic and Hadzic. I have made clear that Serbia's future accession to the EU is conditional on its full co-operation with the ICTY. Our ambassador in Belgrade also consistently reinforces this message in his dealings with the Serbian Government.

USA: Visits

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) representations and  (b) submissions he has received on his Department's procedures for arranging visitor tours of the White House; and what role the British embassy in Washington plays in arranging such tours for UK nationals.

Alistair Burt: Requests to arrange visitor tours of the White House were previously made through our embassy in Washington, which facilitated such tours for visiting UK nationals. However, this practice was discontinued in September 2010 as a result of the increasing difficulty of securing tour places for UK nationals. This is due to the rise in demand from US citizens for White House tours and the fact that the White House gives priority to American visitors over those from other countries. This change brings us into line with many other embassies in Washington that similarly do not offer to process White House tours for their citizens.

Voluntary Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department are participating in volunteering activities as part of his Department's involvement in the big society initiative.

Alistair Burt: Ministers carry out their duties in line with the Ministerial Code. Any volunteering activities in a personal capacity are a private matter for them. Relevant interests, which may include voluntary activities, are published by the Cabinet Office in the List of Ministers' Interests at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/list-ministers-interests

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe.

Henry Bellingham: We are concerned at the recent increase in politically motivated intimidation and violence and the disruption of political and civil society meetings throughout Zimbabwe, including Matabeleland. The political situation in Matabeleland is particularly complex. Although the three provinces strongly supported Morgan Tsvangirai in the 2008 presidential election, it is also where the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change won all their parliamentary seats.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Apprentices: Middlesbrough

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of small and medium-sized businesses in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency which employed apprentices in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Hayes: I have been asked to reply.
	Information is not available at parliamentary constituency level on the size of the employer for apprentices.
	The National Employer Skills Survey (NESS) shows a national estimate of the proportion of apprentices employed by employer size. These data are based on repeated surveys of up to 79,000 employers across all business sectors in England. Table 1 shows information from the published 2009 National Employer Skills Survey(1) on the proportion of apprentices employed by the size of employer, expressed as a percentage of all apprenticeships.
	(1) Figure 8.4, page 208 in:
	http://www.ukces.org.uk/upload/pdf/NESS%20main%20report_1.pdf
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of apprentices employed by employer size (NESS 2009) 
			  Percentage 
			   Number of employees of employer  
			   2-4  5-24  25-99  100-199  200-499  500+  Total 
			 Apprentices employed 13 34 23 8 11 10 100 
		
	
	Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and high quality training opportunities like apprenticeships are key to supporting their growth and success. I know that small businesses place great value on an apprenticeship and are prepared to invest in them. Indeed, the National Employer Skills Survey suggests that small and medium-sized businesses employ proportionately more apprentices than larger employers.

Children: Maintenance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department attributable to the operation of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in each of the next four financial years.

Maria Miller: As we announced at the Spending Review, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission are not exempt from making significant savings across SR10. Work is continuing, through the Department's continuous planning process, with the emphasis on realising savings through both a reduction in corporate and operational costs. Savings in operational expenditure will be greatly assisted by the implementation of the future scheme.

Children: Poverty

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has had discussions with Ministers in the  (a) Scottish Government,  (b) Welsh Assembly Government and  (c) Northern Ireland Executive on the members they propose to appoint to the Child Poverty Commission.

Maria Miller: The devolved Administrations have been involved in discussions on how best to take forward proposals on the Child Poverty Commission.
	We believe the Commission must have a remit which will allow it to hold Government to account and drive progress towards reducing child poverty. We cannot justify establishing an independent commission which does not perform these functions effectively. This is why we have chosen to consult with our stakeholders and to carefully consider how the Commission should be taken forward, rather than rushing to set it up. Our plans for establishing a Commission will be set out in the Child Poverty Strategy, to be published shortly. We will ensure Ministers in the devolved Government and Northern Ireland Executive are kept fully informed.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) procurement and  (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency and (B) non-departmental public body for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: In the Department for Work and Pensions outsourcing forms part of the procurement function. All DWP commercial activity is covered by a DWP commercial strategy and most is conducted as a corporate service covering the DWP centre, agencies and most NDPBs. The cost of the DWP corporate procurement function for 2009-10, and of those non-departmental public bodies that have their own procurement teams is as follows.
	
		
			  Organisation  Cost of procurement function 2009-10 (£) 
			 DWP 47,305,125 
			 Health and Safety Executive 1,338,515 
			 Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission 582,000 
			 The Pensions Regulator 422,875 
			 Total 49,648,515 
		
	
	This response reflects the cost of delivering the procurement function across DWP in 2009-10, the latest full financial year for which figures are available. The cost of function is not the same as procurement expenditure which is paid to external suppliers. DWP has a largely joined-up procurement function where the corporate centre provides services to DWP, its agencies and most NDPBs. As a result of past efficiency and modernisation programmes the cost of the procurement function has reduced by 35% over the last seven years. A current Commercial Improvement Programme will develop plans for the function to reduce by a further 40% over the SR10 period.
	The Department is reviewing all expenditure with a view to driving out inefficiencies and delivering value for money for the taxpayer.

Disability Living Allowance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  with reference to paragraph 7 of his Department's impact assessment on reform of disability living allowance, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of his proposed reforms of disability living allowance on the willingness of residents of care homes to travel outside their care home;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of residential care homes which do not fulfil their responsibilities for the provision of mobility support.

Maria Miller: As paragraph 7 states, the Government have listened to charities and other stakeholders and will no longer remove this payment from October 2012.
	We are currently in the process of reviewing existing evidence and gathering more evidence. In recent months I have met disabled people who are care home residents, their families and care home staff, so that I can listen directly to their views about how mobility support works in practice on the ground.
	Our work has so far established that the current support for the mobility needs of disabled people in residential care is inconsistent. There is a lack of clarity about funding leading to confusion about who should provide what, leaving the most vulnerable people at the risk of variable provision.
	Any subsequent changes to the mobility component of the disability living allowance for people in residential care will be included in the design of the new Personal independence payment. Any changes are not intended to remove disabled people's mobility but will remove any overlaps in public funds.

Disability Living Allowance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what savings his Department proposes to make in respect of the reform of the mobility component of disability living allowance in  (a) 2013-14 and  (b) 2014-15;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the level of savings which will arise from the reform of the mobility component of disability living allowance in  (a) 2013-14 and  (b) 2014-15;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on savings to be made through reform of the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: Support in the new benefit will be focused on those who face the greatest challenges to live independent lives. The detailed eligibility criteria that will be used in the new assessment which includes the mobility component are currently being developed. As more detailed design is completed savings estimates will be updated to reflect the increased level of detail. The Chancellor announced in June 2010 that he anticipated that the overall impact of reform will result in savings equivalent to 20% of forecast working age DLA expenditure overall but savings have not been attributed separately to the care and mobility components of DLA. Further information is available in the impact assessment published on 16t February:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dla-reform-wr2011-ia.pdf
	As the assessment is further developed work will be undertaken which will inform subsequent impact assessments.
	The Secretary of State regularly meets with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. These meetings cover a number of issues and policy areas.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish his Department's response to the consultation on proposals to improve the tracing of employers liability insurance policies and establish a fund of last resort to make payments in cases where employers are insolvent and insurers cannot be traced.

Chris Grayling: In February 2010, the previous Government published their consultation document in Great Britain, "Accessing Compensation-Supporting people who need to trace employers' liability insurance", which set out proposals for people who need to find their employers' liability insurance policies in order to claim compensation. The consultation closed on 5 May 2010.
	There were two proposals; firstly an Employers' Liability Tracing Office, that would manage a database of employers' liability policies. Secondly, an Employers' Liability Insurance Bureau which would be a compensation fund of last resort for those individuals who are unable to trace employers' liability insurance records, ensuring they are able to receive compensation for injuries or diseases sustained during the course of their employment.
	We are in active discussions with all stakeholders on how this situation can be addressed and we will bring forward our proposals in due course.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what transitional arrangements  (a) there are and  (b) he plans to introduce for those who are moved onto jobseeker's allowance following a work capability assessment where the change results in a difference in benefit payments.

Chris Grayling: There is no transitional protection for claimants who move from employment and support allowance to jobseeker's allowance and there are no plans to introduce such arrangements. There is however, transitional protection for those who move to employment and support allowance following reassessment of their existing incapacity benefit award.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  in how many cases where couples made a joint claim for jobseeker's allowance the nominated recipient was  (a) a man and  (b) a woman in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  in how many cases where couples made a joint claim for  (a) income-related jobseeker's allowance,  (b) income support and  (c) income-related employment and support allowance the claim was made by (a) a man and (b) a woman in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested in respect of joint claims for income support (IS) and income based employment and support allowance (ESA) is not available because for both these benefits only one member of a couple can make a claim. While many income based IS and ESA customers do receive an additional amount of money for their partner these claims are not made jointly.
	The information we do have for the number of joint claims in respect of JSA (IB) are in the following table:
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance (JSA) income based (IB), joint claims, by gender and benefit type, August 2010 
			   All joint claims  Male joint claims  Female joint claims 
			 Income-based and Contributory-based JSA 1,800 1,300 500 
			 Income-based JSA only 18,700 10,500 8,100 
			  Notes: 1. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures have been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% WPLS totals. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 4. Data provided are the most recent available.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) Information Directorate, 5% samples

Jobseeker's Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether recipients of jobseekers' allowance who are attending interviews and work trials receive assistance from the public purse with the cost of travel and meals.

Chris Grayling: Jobseeker's allowance is intended to cover all normal day-to-day living expenses. However, customers attending job interviews that are considered to be outside the local travel to work area may get help with the cost of their fares through the Travel to Interview Scheme and in exceptional circumstances help with accommodation. Customers participating in a Work Trial are also entitled to claim their travel expenses. No meal expenses are paid in relation to attending interviews or a Work Trial.

Personal Pensions

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made on giving people greater flexibility in early access to part of a personal pension fund.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government published a call for evidence on early access to pension saving on 13 December 2010, which closed on 25 February 2011. The Government are currently considering the responses received and will make further announcements in due course.

Social Security Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's impact assessment on requiring consideration of revision before appeal, whether this policy is to apply to  (a) appeals against sanctions and  (b) appeals about claimant conditions.

Chris Grayling: The proposed permissive power in the Welfare Reform Bill to require consideration of revision before appeal could be used in relation to all appealable social security decisions.
	These powers would make it possible to require claimants to apply for a decision to be revised before they are able to appeal to the first-tier tribunal.
	The change is being introduced to enable more disputes to be resolved through the internal reconsideration process. The process would allow a claimant's decision to appeal to be informed by whether reconsideration had provided them with a clear justification for the original decision. Claimants would make a positive choice to appeal after their case had been reconsidered-in contrast to the present position where they have to make a positive decision to withdraw their appeal if they are content with the outcome of a reconsideration.
	These powers could be used in relation to appeals against sanctions and appeals about conditions of entitlement. We plan to consult on any proposals for regulations in due course.

Special Educational Needs

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to assist into employment those with learning difficulties at the point at which they leave school.

Maria Miller: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to improving the life chances of young people with learning difficulties and disabilities and this has been reflected through, for example, active engagement with the Department for Education during their preparation of the recently launched Green Paper for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities- Support and Aspiration: a new approach to special educational needs and disability. Through this, we have highlighted the important contribution DWP will make towards the delivery of more flexible services across government for people with complex needs with the introduction of the Universal Credit and through both the Work Programme and Work Choice.
	Our goal is for disabled young people and young people facing complex barriers to have the best opportunities and support so that as far as possible they can succeed in transition from education to adult working life.
	DWP is also working closely with others across government to embed fully the learning from cross-government initiatives such as Valuing Employment Now. This involves, for example, active support for delivery in Project Search demonstration sites and support for the evaluation of the Getting a Life demonstration sites.
	DWP and Jobcentre Plus continue to make an active contribution to cross-government work towards making a reality of the Adult Autism Delivery Plan through, for example, involvement in the Department of Health-led autism steering group. Jobcentre Plus is working in partnership with external medical professionals, disability specific organisations, and service users to improve the customer service experience for young people with more complex needs through the Hidden Impairments National Group.

State Retirement Pensions

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received the state second pension in each of the last seven years; in how many cases contracted-out deductions were made; and what the total value of such deductions was in each such year.

Steve Webb: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers in receipt of additional state pension and with contracted-out deductions applied to accruals of additional state pension, with total weekly value of contracted-out deductions, as at 31 march of the years shown (recipients in Great Britain only) 
			   Numbers in receipt of additional state pension( 1)  Numbers with contracted-out deductions applied to accruals of additional state pension( 2,3)  Total weekly value of contracted-out deductions for all individuals (£ p.w. nominal terms)( 4)  (£ million) 
			 2004 9,309,200 4,053,400 112 
			 2005 9,493,500 4,232,500 122 
			 2006 9,603,300 4,375,900 132 
			 2007 9,794,800 4,556,000 142 
			 2008 10,035,900 4,768,600 155 
			 2009 10,269,900 4,993,700 168 
			 2010 10,536,300 5,236,100 182 
			 (1) Additional state pension includes payments under the graduated retirement benefit, state earnings related pension and state second pension schemes. (2) Contracted-out deductions may be applied to accruals under the state earnings related pension scheme between 1978 and 1996. (3) A small number of individuals have contracted-out deductions but no net additional state pension entitlement. These individuals are not represented under 'Numbers in receipt of additional state pension'. (4) Figures for total annual value of contracted-out deductions are not available.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 individuals or £1 million. 2. Figures are for recipients in Great Britain only. 3. Figures include own and inherited additional state pension and contracted-out deductions.  Source: DWP, Information Directorate 5% sample administrative data

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions he has made in his estimate that £2 billion from fraud and overpayment will be saved by the introduction of universal credit; and how much he estimates will be saved in each  (a) category and  (b) year.

Chris Grayling: The greater simplicity of the universal credit scheme will generate savings from a reduction in the scope for fraud and error and in-year overpayments.
	Savings will be generated from reforms including the abolition of the de-minimus rule, whereby changes in earnings within certain limits are disregarded in any calculation of tax credits, access to real time earnings data and better sharing of information. In addition, because more customers will continue to claim universal credit, for example, after a move into work, there will be more opportunities to recover any overpayments.
	The estimated savings of £2 billion per annum are based on the steady-state position once universal credit is fully implemented and there are no longer any households on the current benefits and tax credits.
	The Department has not produced yearly estimates for the transitional period. The savings for the transitional period will depend on the detailed process for moving customers on to universal credit, which has not yet been finalised.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the impact assessment on his proposals for universal credit, what estimate he has made of the sums attributable to universal credit to be accounted for in his Department's ( a) annually managed expenditure, ( b) departmental expenditure limit resource and ( c) departmental expenditure limit capital in each year covered by the assessment.

Chris Grayling: The impact assessment refers to the cost associated with Universal Credit once fully implemented. At this time it is expected that the annually managed expenditure cost of Universal Credit will be £2.6 billion and the departmental expenditure limit will be reduced by £0.5 billion as a result lower administration costs.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what change he expects in the number of people working  (a) one to five,  (b) six to nine,  (c) 10 to 19,  (d) 20 to 29 and  (e) 30 or more hours per week following introduction of the universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available. We are currently considering whether there is a way of robustly estimating these effects.
	Universal credit will improve incentives to work by a combination of earnings disregards and a single withdrawal rate to reduce the credit when earnings exceed the disregard. This will make the benefits of work clearer and simpler: encouraging people to move into work and see the financial benefits of increasing the number of hours they work or provide a clear incentive for people to try out a 'mini-job'. By actively putting work at the centre of working-age support we want to create a new contract with the British people. We will help them to find work and make sure work pays when they do.
	The number of hours work a person does will not be part of the qualifying conditions for universal credit.
	Overall we expect the number of workless households to fall as a result of improved incentives to work under universal credit.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will assess the proportion of the cost of childcare to be funded by the recipients under each of the options set out in his proposals for universal credit in each of the next four financial years;
	(2)  if he will estimate the number of families in  (a) Glasgow North East constituency,  (b) Glasgow,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Great Britain who will receive assistance with the costs of childcare under each of the options set out in his proposals for universal credit in each of the next four financial years.

Maria Miller: As the Secretary of State said at Second Reading of the Welfare Reform Bill, we will be supporting the cost of child care with an additional element in the universal credit and we will invest at least the same amount of money as in the present system. More detailed proposals are under consideration and will be announced during the passage of the Bill.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the  (a) number of families on incomes between £16,000 and £24,000 who will be affected by the introduction of universal credit and  (b) likely effect on average annual incomes in this group of the implementation of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result of changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	It is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model that in steady state  (a) 1.4 million families on incomes between £16,000 and £24,000 will have either a higher or a lower entitlement under universal credit than under the current system,  (b) It is estimated that the average effect on annual entitlement in this group will be an increase of £570.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the  (a) number of families with savings (i) above £16,000 and (ii) between £6,000 and £16,000 who will be affected by the introduction of universal credit and  (b) the likely effect on average annual incomes in each group of the implementation of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The Government have made a commitment that there will no longer be losers purely as a result of the move to universal credit. At the point of change a comparison will be made between current amount received in tax credits and/or benefits and the household entitlement under universal credit. If the universal credit entitlement is less, and no other circumstances have changed, a cash amount will be paid in order to make up the difference.
	It is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model that in steady state:
	(i) 100,000 families with savings above £16,000 would have a lower entitlement under universal credit than they would have had under the current system. It is estimated that the average effect on annual entitlement in this group will be a decrease of £2,720;
	(ii) 200,000 families with savings between £6,000 and £16,000 would have either a higher or a lower entitlement under Universal Credit than under the current system. It is estimated that the average effect on annual entitlement in this group will be a decrease of £210.

Welfare State: Reform

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's impact assessment on conditionality measures in the Welfare Reform Bill, what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of people who will claim jobseeker's allowance hardship payments in each of the next four years and  (b) the average sum to be claimed in each such year.

Chris Grayling: We have not made any estimates of the number of people who will claim JSA-related hardship payments over each of the next four years or what the average sum claimed each year will be.

JUSTICE

Bailiffs

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on developing options for a public consultation on the better regulation of bailiffs; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government have given a commitment to provide more protection against aggressive bailiffs. We have identified options for public consultation on this commitment including the better regulation of bailiffs, the powers of bailiffs, their costs and how complaints should be dealt with. We are currently preparing the paper and intend to publish in spring 2011.

Boundary Disputes

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the  (a) time taken in,  (b) complexity and  (c) cost of boundary dispute resolution procedures; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has considered the merits of resolution of boundary disputes through mediation by and agreement between qualified surveyors;
	(3)  if he will assess the implications for his Department's policies of the outcome of the case of Huntley and another  v. Armes (2010) EWCA Civ 396.

Jonathan Djanogly: "Huntley  v. Armes" shows how difficult it can be to resolve a boundary dispute but does not raise any new issues for my Department and there are no specific plans to change the ways in which boundary disputes can be settled. The Government already encourages potential litigants to consider alternative ways of resolving their disputes, including mediation, which can be provided by qualified surveyors where appropriate. The Government are considering the responses to the Ministry of Justice's consultation "Proposals for Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales-Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations". This may lead to changes that are relevant to the cost of resolving boundary disputes.

British Sign Language

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what facilities his Department provides for British Sign Language users to access legal services.

Jonathan Djanogly: British Sign Language (BSL) users in England and Wales are able to use the Community Legal Advice (CLA) telephone helpline or the CLA website to access legal services. CLA is funded by the legal aid scheme which is administered by the Legal Services Commission (LSC).
	BSL users may access the helpline by using a text or web based 'call me back' service, and can then use web cameras to communicate with legal advisers who are fluent in BSL. This service is currently available at specialist level in the categories of Debt, Housing, Employment and Welfare Benefits.
	BSL users may also search through the directory function on the CLA website to find a face-to-face legal adviser local to them that provides BSL translation.

Departmental Compensation

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) agency and (ii) non-departmental public body for which he is responsible spent on compensation payments to members of the public for errors made by such bodies in each of the last five years.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007 from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and part of the Home Office. There is no comparable data from before that time. Some agencies and Executive agencies were in existence before those machinery of government changes, so are able to give data for the last five financial years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Organisation  2009-10  2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06 
			 MoJ HQ 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HM Courts Service(1) 729,000 1.15 million 1.1 million 630,000 520,000 
			 NOMS(2) (2)- (2)- (2)- (2)- (2)- 
			 Tribunals Service(3) 92,000 86,000 71,000 63,000 (3)- 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 143,000 169,000 89,000 188,000 558,000 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority(4) 10,000 10,000 866 57,000 (4)- 
			 Information Commissioner's Office 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Legal Services Board 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Legal Services Commission(5) 52,000 35,000 95,000 96,000 258,000 
			 Office for Legal Complaints 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Parole Board 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Youth Justice Board 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) HMCS made compensation payments to court users, including defendants for errors made by court staff. (2) Although NOMS' accounting system records compensation payments made, it does not categorise them in a way that distinguishes the recipient eg member of the public, staff member, prisoner etc. It would cause disproportionate costs to manually research each compensation payment made to find out if it met the criteria in the question. (3) The Tribunals Service came into existence on 1 April 2006. (4 )CICA's financial records for 2005-06 are stored on a separate accounting system that has been archived to an offsite location. It would incur disproportionate costs to retrieve them. (5) In 2008-09 the Commission was also ordered to pay £98,158 in relation to a judicial review.

Driving under Influence: Sentencing

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) arrests and  (b) convictions for drink-driving resulted in custodial sentences in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Crispin Blunt: From information held by the Ministry of Justice, the number of defendants found guilty, sentenced to immediate custody and sentence breakdown at all courts for drink and drug related driving offences by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2009 (latest available) is shown in the following tables.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	The Home Office are responsible for information relating to arrests, but the information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. Offences of drink-driving do not form a part of this collection.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts for drink and drug related driving offences by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2009(1,)( )(2,)( )(3) 
			  Police force area/outcome  1997  1998  1999  2000( 4)  2001  2002  2003 
			  Avon and  Somerset
			 Found guilty 2,453 2,296 2,447 2,230 2,000 2,153 2,374 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,454 2,301 2,449 2,231 2,002 2,154 2,375 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 74 76 81 71 52 41 70 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,380 2,225 2,368 2,160 1,950 2,113 2,305 
			 
			  Bedfordshire
			 Found guilty 1,039 964 777 713 845 880 977 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,039 965 776 714 845 881 977 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 84 63 52 58 50 47 41 
			 Other sentence(7) 955 902 724 656 795 834 936 
			 
			  Cambridgeshire
			 Found guilty 971 956 848 699 713 762 854 
			 Sentenced(6) 973 955 847 699 711 761 856 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 35 23 13 21 20 21 31 
			 Other sentence(7) 938 932 834 678 691 740 825 
			 
			  Cheshire
			 Found guilty 1,738 1,705 1,600 1,488 1,396 1,799 1,700 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,742 1,706 1,601 1,491 1,395 1,799 1,701 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 41 64 77 75 47 51 51 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,701 1,642 1,524 1,416 1,348 1,748 1,650 
			 
			  City of  London
			 Found guilty 410 281 225 156 147 209 207 
			 Sentenced(6) 410 281 225 157 147 209 207 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 7 6 2 4 5 12 4 
			 Other sentence(7) 403 275 223 153 142 197 203 
			  Cleveland
			 Found guilty 836 726 709 679 777 808 800 
			 Sentenced(6) 835 726 709 679 778 809 800 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 41 23 21 23 29 37 20 
			 Other sentence(7) 794 703 688 656 749 772 780 
			 
			  Cumbria
			 Found guilty 802 740 771 710 665 686 737 
			 Sentenced(6) 802 740 771 710 666 688 738 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 16 14 15 17 16 16 11 
			 Other sentence(7) 786 726 756 693 650 672 727 
			 
			  Derbyshire
			 Found guilty 1,412 1,325 1,281 1,240 1,216 1,300 1,421 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,412 1,327 1,280 1,240 1,218 1,303 1,421 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 88 118 104 65 72 93 89 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,324 1,209 1,176 1,175 1,146 1,210 1,332 
			 
			 
			  Devon and Cornwall
			 Found guilty 2,149 2,088 2,098 2,052 2,225 2,271 2,489 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,150 2,089 2,100 2,055 2,226 2,271 2,492 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 52 64 48 50 68 49 59 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,098 2,025 2,052 2,005 2,158 2,222 2,433 
			 
			  Dorset
			 Found guilty 1,044 1,051 1,000 974 1,001 1,032 1,103 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,045 1,052 1,000 974 1,002 1,032 1,103 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 45 42 54 33 38 31 22 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,000 1,010 946 941 964 1,001 1,081 
			 
			  Durham
			 Found guilty 901 913 1,024 1,025 982 1,004 1,015 
			 Sentenced(6) 901 913 1,023 1,024 981 1,004 1,015 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 29 23 36 43 39 29 33 
			 Other sentence(7) 872 890 987 981 942 975 982 
			 
			  Essex
			 Found guilty 2,545 2,231 2,309 2,262 2,231 2,290 2,366 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,545 2,229 2,308 2,263 2,232 2,290 2,367 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 163 150 169 134 148 147 153 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,382 2,079 2,139 2,129 2,084 2,143 2,214 
			 
			  Gloucestershire
			 Found guilty 969 894 791 711 809 859 823 
			 Sentenced(6) 969 894 791 711 809 859 824 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 26 14 26 17 21 27 21 
			 Other sentence(7) 943 880 765 694 788 832 803 
			 
			  Greater  Manchester
			 Found guilty 4,161 4,079 4,126 4,054 4,067 4,063 4,111 
			 Sentenced(6) 4,161 4,085 4,128 4,056 4,068 4,063 4,113 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 248 222 225 212 230 234 207 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,913 3,863 3,903 3,844 3,838 3,829 3,906 
			 
			  Hampshire
			 Found guilty 3,402 3,263 3,429 3,158 3,185 3,542 3,328 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,402 3,264 3,430 3,158 3,181 3,539 3,328 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 142 131 123 135 140 123 119 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,260 3,133 3,307 3,023 3,041 3,416 3,209 
			 
			  Hertfordshire
			 Found guilty 1,519 1,515 1,514 1,409 1,538 1,762 1,750 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,519 1,513 1,518 1,411 1,540 1,764 1,749 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 47 45 32 44 47 47 42 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,472 1,468 1,486 1,367 1,493 1,717 1,707 
			 
			  Humberside
			 Found guilty 1,122 1,203 1,161 1,200 1,120 1,251 1,357 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,123 1,203 1,161 1,200 1,120 1,253 1,357 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 48 44 60 67 69 65 84 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,075 1,159 1,101 1,133 1,051 1,188 1,273 
			 
			  Kent
			 Found guilty 2,094 2,429 2,422 2,389 2,390 2,540 2,508 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,095 2,433 2,423 2,390 2,390 2,541 2,510 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 57 97 86 86 102 92 82 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,038 2,336 2,337 2,304 2,288 2,449 2,428 
			 
			  Lancashire
			 Found guilty 3,003 2,591 2,349 2,312 2,059 2,316 2,393 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,003 2,593 2,351 2,313 2,059 2,317 2,395 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 125 93 90 81 78 67 64 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,878 2,500 2,261 2,232 1,981 2,250 2,331 
			 
			  Leicestershire
			 Found guilty 1,476 1,327 1,412 1,363 1,380 1,489 1,537 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,476 1,328 1,414 1,363 1,380 1,491 1,540 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 113 81 98 84 68 75 82 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,363 1,247 1,316 1,279 1,312 1,416 1,458 
			 
			  Lincolnshire
			 Found guilty 1,019 913 855 757 808 779 1017 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,019 913 855 757 808 780 1018 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 31 23 29 28 35 35 22 
			 Other sentence(7) 988 890 826 729 773 745 996 
			 
			  Merseyside
			 Found guilty 2,347 2,129 1,874 1,891 1,950 2,059 2,386 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,346 2,129 1,874 1,893 1,948 2,057 2,385 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 157 195 171 172 125 121 105 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,189 1,934 1,703 1,721 1,823 1,936 2,280 
			 
			  Metr opolitan  Police
			 Found guilty 14,795 12,656 11,300 10,803 10,374 11,857 11,406 
			 Sentenced(6) 14,793 12,655 11,306 10,802 10,371 11,855 11,404 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 848 705 554 545 639 583 563 
			 Other sentence(7) 13,945 11,950 10,752 10,257 9,732 11,272 10,841 
			 
			  Norfolk
			 Found guilty 1,025 1,034 915 838 1,018 1,109 1,150 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,025 1,035 915 838 1,018 1,109 1,150 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 31 27 39 19 31 26 25 
			 Other sentence(7) 994 1,008 876 819 987 1,083 1,125 
			 
			  North  Yorkshire
			 Found guilty 1,204 1,080 1,008 986 982 1,026 1,085 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,201 1,080 1,008 986 982 1,026 1,087 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 39 46 31 39 29 33 24 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,162 1,034 977 947 953 993 1,063 
			 
			  Northamptonshire
			 Found guilty 1,006 957 943 703 343 205 726 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,007 957 942 704 342 206 726 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 73 53 54 53 38 19 31 
			 Other sentence(7) 934 904 888 651 304 187 695 
			 
			  Northumbria
			 Found guilty 2,248 2,101 2,088 2,272 2,154 2,220 2,362 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,248 2,103 2,089 2,272 2,154 2,222 2,362 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 72 83 89 84 78 61 58 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,176 2,020 2,000 2,188 2,076 2,161 2,304 
			 
			  Nottinghamshire
			 Found guilty 1,747 1,539 1,556 1,508 1,394 1,232 1,437 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,749 1,539 1,556 1,513 1,395 1,234 1,442 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 153 137 151 122 111 69 81 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,596 1,402 1,405 1,391 1,284 1,165 1,361 
			 
			  South  Yorkshire
			 Found guilty 2,004 1,722 1,690 1,866 1,807 1,710 1,829 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,005 1,723 1,689 1,867 1,806 1,709 1,829 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 107 84 86 90 77 80 55 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,898 1,639 1,603 1,777 1,729 1,629 1,774 
			 
			  Staffordshire
			 Found guilty 1,820 1,735 1,503 - 1,303 1,487 1,512 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,820 1,735 1,502 - 1,303 1,482 1,508 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 69 75 76 - 55 74 63 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,751 1,660 1,426 - 1,248 1,408 1,445 
			  Suffolk
			 Found guilty 944 946 980 808 856 997 1,081 
			 Sentenced(6) 944 944 981 808 856 998 1,081 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 26 31 43 46 31 44 31 
			 Other sentence(7) 918 913 938 762 825 954 1050 
			 
			  Surrey
			 Found guilty 1,244 1,223 1,306 1,403 1,469 1,492 1,339 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,245 1,226 1,307 1,404 1,469 1,492 1,339 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 32 27 19 28 33 31 21 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,213 1,199 1,288 1,376 1,436 1,461 1,318 
			 
			  Sussex
			 Found guilty 2,178 1,954 2,021 1,925 2,205 2,158 2,251 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,178 1,952 2,021 1,926 2,204 2,158 2,253 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 63 60 58 57 68 84 59 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,115 1,892 1,963 1,869 2,136 2,074 2,194 
			 
			  Thames  Valley
			 Found guilty 3,743 3,593 3,416 3,219 3,013 3,994 3,614 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,744 3,593 3,417 3,218 3,014 3,995 3,618 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 110 96 93 103 98 100 81 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,634 3,497 3,324 3,115 2,916 3,895 3,537 
			 
			  Warwickshire
			 Found guilty 725 708 784 714 820 770 847 
			 Sentenced(6) 725 710 784 714 820 769 847 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 13 25 13 20 15 13 15 
			 Other sentence(7) 712 685 771 694 805 756 832 
			 
			  West  Mercia
			 Found guilty 1,748 1,599 1,558 1,477 1,567 1,584 1,613 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,748 1,597 1,559 1,478 1,568 1,584 1,614 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 47 45 57 47 41 48 37 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,701 1,552 1,502 1,431 1,527 1,536 1,577 
			 
			  West  Midlands
			 Found guilty 5,578 4,897 4,185 4,026 4,284 4,435 4,594 
			 Sentenced(6) 5,580 4,899 4,184 4,030 4,288 4,437 4,597 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 285 225 249 230 222 225 193 
			 Other sentence(7) 5,295 4,674 3,935 3,800 4,066 4,212 4,404 
			 
			  West  Yorkshire
			 Found guilty 3,426 3,223 3,224 2,958 2,848 3,170 3,284 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,425 3,221 3,222 2,958 2,850 3,167 3,282 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 196 186 186 135 161 125 113 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,229 3,035 3,036 2,823 2,689 3,042 3,169 
			 
			  Wiltshire
			 Found guilty 948 992 914 852 913 891 908 
			 Sentenced(6) 949 991 914 853 914 891 909 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 20 20 23 16 23 24 18 
			 Other sentence(7) 929 971 891 837 891 867 891 
			 
			  Dyfed-Powys
			 Found guilty 893 877 845 748 770 828 872 
			 Sentenced(6) 894 875 845 750 769 829 873 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 24 18 28 19 18 25 28 
			 Other sentence(7) 870 857 817 731 751 804 845 
			 
			  Gwent
			 Found guilty 1,033 1,059 953 1,058 1,016 947 1,008 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,033 1,058 953 1,058 1,016 948 1,008 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 33 50 37 45 43 36 45 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,000 1,008 916 1,013 973 912 963 
			 
			  North  Wales
			 Found guilty 1,167 1,149 1,102 1,169 1,086 1,124 1,182 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,167 1,149 1,100 1,169 1,086 1,124 1,184 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 47 55 40 48 41 34 33 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,120 1,094 1,060 1,121 1,045 1,090 1,151 
			 
			  South  Wales( 5)
			 Found guilty 2,371 2,411 2,192 2,300 2,383 2,343 2,429 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,371 2,411 2,196 2,301 2,382 2,344 2,433 
			  Of which:
			 Immediate custody 108 95 115 114 124 96 65 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,263 2,316 2,081 2,187 2,258 2,248 2,368 
			 
			  England and Wales( 4)
			 Found guilty 89,259 83,074 79,505 75,105 76,109 81,433 83,782 
			 Sentenced(5) 89,272 83,092 79,524 75,138 76,113 81,444 83,817 
			  Of which
			 Immediate custody 4,065 3,754 3,653 3,380 3,475 3,290 3,051 
			 
			 Other sentence(6) 85,207 79,338 75,871 71,758 72,638 78,154 80,766 
		
	
	
		
			  Police force area/outcome  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 5)  2009 
			  Avon and  Somerset   
			 Found guilty 2,457 2,379 2,170 2,242 1,966 1,850 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,457 2,382 2,174 2,245 1,965 1,850 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 70 54 68 42 44 28 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,387 2,328 2,106 2,203 1,921 1,822 
			
			  Bedfordshire   
			 Found guilty 986 969 1,060 963 805 716 
			 Sentenced(6) 987 969 1,061 963 806 719 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 45 55 26 21 10 23 
			 Other sentence(7) 942 914 1,035 942 796 696 
			
			  Cambridgeshire   
			 Found guilty 994 1,088 1,150 1,150 1,021 871 
			 Sentenced(6) 993 1,089 1,150 1,150 1,023 873 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 18 27 27 26 40 26 
			 Other sentence(7) 975 1,062 1,123 1,124 983 847 
			
			  Cheshire   
			 Found guilty 1,933 1,542 1,655 1,662 1,487 1,501 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,934 1,541 1,654 1,663 1,489 1,500 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 55 59 45 37 31 30 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,879 1,482 1,609 1,626 1,458 1,470 
			
			  City of  London   
			 Found guilty 148 165 158 177 120 95 
			 Sentenced(6) 148 166 158 177 120 95 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 4 2 1 4 0 1 
			 Other sentence(7) 144 164 157 173 120 94 
			
			  Cleveland   
			 Found guilty 915 838 907 865 920 826 
			 Sentenced(6) 915 838 909 864 918 824 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 21 20 12 20 19 14 
			 Other sentence(7) 894 818 897 844 899 810 
			
			  Cumbria   
			 Found guilty 799 749 768 772 690 614 
			 Sentenced(6) 800 749 769 772 691 613 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 19 25 12 22 23 20 
			 Other sentence(7) 781 724 757 750 668 593 
			
			  Derbyshire   
			 Found guilty 1,660 1,468 1,396 1,316 1,118 1,076 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,659 1,471 1,398 1,317 1,121 1,077 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 72 64 61 60 45 24 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,587 1,407 1,337 1,257 1,076 1,053 
			
			  Devon and Cornwall   
			 Found guilty 2,341 2,299 2,199 2,140 2,054 1,911 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,340 2,300 2,203 2,140 2,056 1,912 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 52 65 50 20 29 19 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,288 2,235 2,153 2,120 2,027 1,893 
			
			  Dorset   
			 Found guilty 1,119 1,093 1,069 1,109 986 848 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,119 1,092 1,070 1,108 988 849 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 24 23 14 14 13 7 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,095 1,069 1,056 1,094 975 842 
			
			  Durham   
			 Found guilty 1,105 1,034 900 933 809 793 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,105 1,034 899 932 809 794 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 37 27 14 23 11 10 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,068 1007 885 909 798 784 
			
			  Essex   
			 Found guilty 2,598 2,354 2,472 2,353 2,226 2,332 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,597 2,354 2,472 2,356 2,232 2,333 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 210 165 112 101 83 68 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,387 2,189 2,360 2,255 2,149 2,265 
			
			  Gloucestershire   
			 Found guilty 842 762 769 686 741 718 
			 Sentenced(6) 841 762 769 685 741 718 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 14 11 16 11 9 10 
			 Other sentence(7) 827 751 753 674 732 708 
			
			  Greater  Manchester   
			 Found guilty 4,178 4,130 4,074 4,051 3,524 3,412 
			 Sentenced(6) 4,178 4,131 4,079 4,054 3,523 3,419 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 191 171 122 123 82 78 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,987 3,960 3,957 3,931 3,441 3,341 
			
			  Hampshire   
			 Found guilty 3,431 3,099 2,674 2,765 2,527 2,280 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,432 3,103 2,678 2,768 2,529 2,282 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 95 105 71 76 63 39 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,337 2,998 2,607 2,692 2,466 2,243 
			
			  Hertfordshire   
			 Found guilty 1,736 1,685 1,692 1,703 1,503 1,525 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,738 1,685 1,693 1,704 1,502 1,526 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 38 42 24 28 28 9 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,700 1,643 1,669 1,676 1,474 1,517 
			
			  Humberside   
			 Found guilty 1,424 1,397 1,367 915 497 1,058 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,425 1,398 1,367 915 496 1,062 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 47 63 44 45 40 36 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,378 1,335 1,323 870 456 1,026 
			
			  Kent   
			 Found guilty 2,746 2,611 2,542 2,569 2,293 2,050 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,746 2,611 2,544 2,569 2,292 2,049 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 74 76 74 48 44 33 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,672 2,535 2,470 2,521 2,248 2,016 
			
			  Lancashire   
			 Found guilty 2,427 2,432 2,503 2,439 2,265 2,079 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,427 2,433 2,504 2,439 2,265 2,081 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 57 61 52 31 34 29 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,370 2,372 2,452 2,408 2,231 2,052 
			
			  Leicestershire   
			 Found guilty 1,546 1,458 1,352 1,384 1,172 1,116 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,547 1,458 1,354 1,383 1,172 1,117 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 60 67 54 33 34 29 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,487 1,391 1,300 1,350 1,138 1,088 
			
			  Lincolnshire   
			 Found guilty 1,104 1,072 1,132 1,136 1,087 955 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,104 1,072 1,133 1,135 1,089 955 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 24 18 24 26 29 19 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,080 1,054 1,109 1,109 1,060 936 
			
			  Merseyside   
			 Found guilty 2,485 2,572 2,414 2,269 1,838 1,771 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,484 2,573 2,414 2,269 1,841 1,775 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 129 129 106 76 43 28 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,355 2,444 2,308 2,193 1,798 1,747 
			
			  Metr opolitan  Police   
			 Found guilty 11,892 11,760 12,023 11,317 10,587 9,933 
			 Sentenced(6) 11,896 11,763 12,025 11,318 10,588 9,934 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 507 470 398 314 307 275 
			 Other sentence(7) 11,389 11,293 11,627 11,004 10,281 9,659 
			
			  Norfolk   
			 Found guilty 1,105 1,141 1,241 1,119 988 867 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,106 1,141 1,241 1,120 988 869 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 37 26 23 36 19 10 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,069 1,115 1,218 1,084 969 859 
			
			  North  Yorkshire   
			 Found guilty 1,025 1,143 1,121 1,094 1,029 1,059 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,024 1,142 1,121 1,093 1,031 1,058 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 13 21 15 13 17 21 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,011 1,121 1,106 1,080 1,014 1,037 
			
			  Northamptonshire   
			 Found guilty 844 764 919 807 894 854 
			 Sentenced(6) 844 764 919 809 894 854 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 33 30 46 56 39 50 
			 Other sentence(7) 811 734 873 753 855 804 
			
			  Northumbria   
			 Found guilty 2,346 2,266 2,262 2,213 2,101 1,928 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,348 2,265 2,262 2,215 2,100 1,930 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 84 38 26 32 29 22 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,264 2,227 2,236 2,183 2,071 1,908 
			
			  Nottinghamshire   
			 Found guilty 1,467 1,454 1,531 1,400 1,406 1,376 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,467 1,456 1,530 1,402 1,407 1,373 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 48 52 45 33 31 35 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,419 1,404 1,485 1,369 1,376 1,338 
			
			  South  Yorkshire   
			 Found guilty 1,955 1,985 1,785 1,851 1,772 1,734 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,956 1,988 1,785 1,849 1,773 1,735 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 51 56 45 56 61 47 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,905 1,932 1,740 1,793 1,712 1,688 
			
			  Staffordshire   
			 Found guilty 1,533 1,511 1,450 1,520 1,460 1,373 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,527 1,510 1,446 1,518 1,461 1,374 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 58 49 37 33 28 34 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,469 1,461 1,409 1,485 1,433 1,340 
			
			  Suffolk   
			 Found guilty 1,186 997 1,064 963 833 800 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,186 996 1,063 963 833 800 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 45 29 28 26 17 20 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,141 967 1,035 937 816 780 
			
			  Surrey   
			 Found guilty 1,368 1,380 1,312 1,394 1,273 1,194 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,369 1,383 1,312 1,394 1,274 1,195 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 25 24 24 18 23 15 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,344 1,359 1,288 1,376 1,251 1,180 
			
			  Sussex   
			 Found guilty 2,295 2,157 2,273 2,279 2,030 1,769 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,295 2,157 2,273 2,279 2,029 1,772 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 46 48 35 49 43 37 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,249 2,109 2,238 2,230 1,986 1,735 
			
			  Thames  Valley   
			 Found guilty 3,282 3,211 3,161 3,102 2,763 2,323 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,283 3,211 3,163 3,101 2,762 2,326 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 94 96 85 70 91 58 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,189 3,115 3,078 3,031 2,671 2,268 
			
			  Warwickshire   
			 Found guilty 789 807 829 913 758 788 
			 Sentenced(6) 789 807 829 914 759 788 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 11 9 11 12 9 13 
			 Other sentence(7) 778 798 818 902 750 775 
			
			  West  Mercia   
			 Found guilty 1,616 1,739 1,821 1,708 1,561 1,473 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,617 1,740 1,816 1,700 1,545 1,471 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 51 54 45 32 32 23 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,566 1,686 1,771 1,668 1,513 1,448 
			
			  West  Midlands   
			 Found guilty 4,948 5,080 5,030 4,994 4,197 3,975 
			 Sentenced(6) 4,947 5,082 5,036 4,995 4,202 3,980 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 213 154 137 146 142 140 
			 Other sentence(7) 4,734 4,928 4,899 4,849 4,060 3,840 
			
			  West  Yorkshire   
			 Found guilty 3,458 3,495 3,266 3,131 2,824 2,666 
			 Sentenced(6) 3,458 3,495 3,267 3,134 2,824 2,668 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 125 80 67 60 64 56 
			 Other sentence(7) 3,333 3,415 3,200 3,074 2,760 2,612 
			
			  Wiltshire   
			 Found guilty 903 919 899 741 630 559 
			 Sentenced(6) 903 917 899 742 630 559 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 14 15 8 6 6 3 
			 Other sentence(7) 889 902 891 736 624 556 
			
			  Dyfed-Powys   
			 Found guilty 873 837 829 814 728 632 
			 Sentenced(6) 872 837 828 814 729 632 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 18 17 13 10 14 9 
			 Other sentence(7) 854 820 815 804 715 623 
			
			  Gwent   
			 Found guilty 1,057 999 1,070 990 909 786 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,056 998 1,069 990 910 786 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 27 38 32 28 32 19 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,029 960 1,037 962 878 767 
			
			  North  Wales   
			 Found guilty 1,189 1,207 1,226 1,194 1,021 996 
			 Sentenced(6) 1,190 1,208 1,224 1,193 1,017 995 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 32 33 31 18 21 21 
			 Other sentence(7) 1,158 1,175 1,193 1,175 996 974 
			
			  South  Wales( 5)   
			 Found guilty 2,492 2,492 2,440 2,334 1,742 2,038 
			 Sentenced(6) 2,493 2,491 2,440 2,336 1,743 2,038 
			  Of which:   
			 Immediate custody 95 86 75 66 50 59 
			 Other sentence(7) 2,398 2,405 2,365 2,270 1,693 1,979 
			
			  England and Wales( 4)   
			 Found guilty 86,597 84,540 83,975 81,477 73,155 69,520 
			 Sentenced(5) 86,602 84,562 84,000 81,487 73,167 69,560 
			  Of which   
			 Immediate custody 2,983 2,754 2,255 2,001 1,829 1,547 
			 Other sentence(6) 83,619 81,808 81,745 79,486 71,338 68,013 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following corresponding offence descriptions, statutes and sections of said statutes: Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment), s.4(1) Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit, s.5(1)(a) Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle, s.7(6) Being in charge of a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment), s.4(2) Being in charge of a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit, s.5(1)(b) Being in charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle, s.7(6) Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen of breath for a preliminary test, s.6(6) Failing to allow specimen of blood to be subjected to laboratory test, s.7A, s.56, s.31A, s.52 Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment)-drink, s.4(2) Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment)-drugs, s.4(1) Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment)-drink, s.4(2) Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment)-drugs, s.4(2) (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (6) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (7)( )Includes: absolute/conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, fully suspended sentence, and otherwise dealt with. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Employment and Support Allowance: Tribunals

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many tribunal  (a) chairs and  (b) members have been recruited by the Tribunal Service in Scotland since May 2010 for the purposes of (i) assisting in reducing the backlog of appeals against refusal of employment and support allowance and (ii) dealing with anticipated appeals which may arise from the transfer of claimants from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in the next two years.

Jonathan Djanogly: Appointments to the First-tier Tribunal are made by the Lord Chancellor, in consultation with the Lord President in Scotland, following an open competition which is the responsibility of the independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC). Tribunal judges and members may be asked to hear cases on a range of issues across the jurisdiction and are not limited to one benefit type.
	Legally qualified tribunal judges and medically qualified tribunal members hear appeals on decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on employment and support allowance and are appointed to the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction of the Social Entitlement Chamber.
	The 2010-11 recruitment exercise for fee-paid legally qualified tribunal members is currently under way. The original bid for Scotland was for 11 vacancies, increased to 18 to take into account increased intake. Appointments are expected in May. A Social Entitlement Chamber salaried tribunal judge exercise was launched 20 January 2011 including a bid for two judges for Scotland, one to replace planned retirement and one for an additional vacancy to assist in dealing with increased intake.
	The 2010-11 medically qualified tribunal member recruitment exercise concluded in November 2010. In light of increased intake, the original bid for Scotland of 10 members was increased to 15, and 15 were appointed. A further medically qualified tribunal member exercise is scheduled to begin 23 March 2011; the Scotland region has bid for a further 10 members. At the same time, a new post of salaried medically qualified tribunal member will also be advertised to assist in, among other things, dealing with the additional demands resulting from expected increases in workload.
	The Lord Chancellor also has the power to extend individual appointments for tribunal judges and members upon reaching the statutory retirement age of 70, up to 75 on annual basis. This has been exercised for members in Scotland with a supporting business case provided by the chamber in respect of 11 medically qualified tribunal members and three tribunal judges.
	Where a particular region experiences a shortage of members, procedures exist for deploying members from neighbouring regions within the chamber with the consent of the regional tribunal judge.

Employment Tribunals Service: Trade Unions

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints of unjustifiable discipline by a trade union were  (a) heard and  (b) upheld by an employment tribunal in each year since 1996.

Jonathan Djanogly: An individual who thinks he or she has been unjustifiably disciplined by their trade union may, under certain circumstances, bring a claim to an employment tribunal. This is set out in sections 64-66 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. It is also possible to bring a claim for unreasonable exclusion or expulsion from a union (under sections 174-75 of the 1992 Act).
	Complaints under these jurisdictions are relatively rare. Using data held and collated centrally by the Tribunals Service, it is possible to identify claims made annually under these jurisdictions for the period 1996 to 2004. Table 1 sets out the relevant figures.
	
		
			  Table 1: Claims accepted, heard and ultimately successful under the trade union discipline jurisdictions, 1996 to 2004 
			   Year claim accepted  Successful at hearing  Unsuccessful at hearing  Dismissed at Preliminary Hearing  Default judgment, claimant successful  Total hearings 
			 Unjustified discipline by a trade Union 1996 1 5 3 - 9 
			  1997 2 7 4 - 13 
			  1998 1 6 1 - 8 
			  1999 3 6 2 - 11 
			  2000 2 7 1 - 10 
			  2001 0 4 1 - 5 
			  2002 1 2 - - 3 
			  2003 0 11 3 - 14 
			  2004 0 3 1 - 4 
			 Total  10 51 16 - 77 
			
			 Unreasonable expulsion or exclusion from trade union 1996 5 2 - - 7 
			  1997 2 1 - - 3 
			  1998 0 1 - - 1 
			  1999 9 3 - - 12 
			  2000 2 2 1 - 5 
			  2001 1 1 - - 2 
			  2002 2 0 - - 2 
			  2003 0 5 1 - 6 
			  2004 0 1 2 - 3 
			 Total  21 16 4 - 41 
			  Note:  Rounding: Figures in the tables are rounded independently and thus may not add to totals. The following conventions have been used: Values less than 100 remain as unit values; Values from 100 to 999 are rounded to nearest 10; Values of 1,000 and over are rounded to the nearest 100.  Source: ET Central database 2010. 
		
	
	In 2004, the way in which employment tribunals collated their management data was revised. As a result, data specifically in relation to these claims has not been recorded centrally. Instead, all such claims have been recorded as ones within a more generic group of trade union-related claims. Therefore, using the Tribunals Service's centrally held data since 2005, it is only possible to show the claim volumes across this more generic group of claims. Table 2 sets out the data that the Tribunals Service holds in this regard.
	
		
			  Table 2: Claims heard and final outcome where those claims were about detriment relating to being, not being, or proposing to become a union member (some of which may include claims under the trade union discipline/exclusion jurisdictions), 2004 to 2010 
			   Year claim accepted  Successful at hearing  Unsuccessful at hearing  Dismissed at Preliminary Hearing  Default judgment, claimant successful  Total hearings 
			 Suffer a detriment and/or dismissal relating to being not being or proposing to become a member of a trade union 2004 5 9 - - 14 
			  2005 350 64 11 1 430 
			  2006 21 52 11 - 84 
			  2007 69 44 14 2 130 
			  2008 18 62 9 - 89 
			  2009 17 43 10 2 72 
			  2010 8 18 7 2 35 
			 Total  490 290 62 7 850 
			  Note:  Rounding: Figures in the tables are rounded independently and thus may not add to totals. The following conventions have been used: Values less than 100 remain as unit values; Values from 100 to 999 are rounded to nearest 10; Values of 1,000 and over are rounded to the nearest 100.  Source: ET Central database 2011.

European Convention on Human Rights

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reports he has received on progress in negotiations for the EU to become a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Jonathan Djanogly: This question has been passed to the Ministry of Justice to reply as lead Department on the EU's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights.
	The Council of the European Union appointed the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the EU in June 2010, on the basis of an agreed negotiating mandate. The Commission has since met regularly with a group of experts elected by the member states of the Council of Europe, including one from the United Kingdom, to prepare the accession agreement, including any necessary adaptations to the convention system. An early draft of the agreement was recently prepared by the Council of Europe Secretariat based on these negotiations, which will now form the basis of further discussions and drafting refinement.
	The accession agreement must not extend the competences of the EU, affect the powers of its institutions, nor affect the position of the United Kingdom and other member states in relation to the ECHR. The Government will continue to participate fully in the negotiations with these principles in mind.

Immigration: Judges

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish revised guidelines for immigration judges; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Clarke) does not provide any guidance to immigration judges as the judiciary is entirely independent of the Government.

Interim Possession Orders

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many interim possession orders were issued by each county court in England and Wales in each year since 2007.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following table shows the number of interim possession orders made in each county court in 2007, 2008, 2009 and in the first three quarters (January to September) of 2010, the latest period for which data are available.
	
		
			  Number of interim possession orders issued by each county court( 1)  in England and Wales, 2007-10 Q3 
			  Court name  2007  2008  2009  2010 Q1- Q3 
			 Aberdare 0 0 0 0 
			 Aberystwyth 0 0 0 0 
			 Accrington 0 0 0 0 
			 Aldershot 0 0 0 1 
			 Altrincham 0 0 0 0 
			 Ashford 0 0 0 0 
			 Tameside 0 0 0 0 
			 Aylesbury 1 0 0 0 
			 Banbury 0 0 0 0 
			 Barnet 3 7 9 3 
			 Barnsley 0 0 0 0 
			 Barnstaple 0 0 0 0 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 0 0 0 0 
			 Basingstoke 0 0 0 0 
			 Bath 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedford 0 0 0 0 
			 Birkenhead 0 0 0 0 
			 Birmingham CJC 0 0 0 0 
			 Bishop Auckland 0 0 0 0 
			 Blackburn 0 0 0 0 
			 Blackpool 0 0 0 0 
			 Blackwood 0 0 0 0 
			 Bodmin 1 0 0 0 
			 Bolton 0 0 0 0 
			 Boston 0 0 0 0 
			 Bournemouth 0 0 0 0 
			 Bow 0 4 0 0 
			 Bradford 0 0 1 1 
			 Brecknock 0 0 0 0 
			 Brentford 15 13 7 4 
			 Bridgend 0 0 0 5 
			 Brighton 2 1 0 0 
			 Bristol 0 0 0 0 
			 Bromley 0 0 0 0 
			 Basildon 0 0 0 0 
			 Burnley 0 0 0 0 
			 Burton-on-Trent 0 0 0 0 
			 Bury 0 0 0 0 
			 Bury St Edmunds 2 2 1 0 
			 Buxton 0 0 0 0 
			 Caernarfon 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridge 0 0 0 0 
			 Canterbury 0 0 0 0 
			 Cardiff 0 0 0 0 
			 Carlisle 0 0 0 0 
			 Carmarthen 0 0 0 0 
			 Chelmsford 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheltenham 0 0 0 0 
			 Chepstow 0 0 0 0 
			 Chester 0 0 0 0 
			 Chesterfield 0 0 0 0 
			 Chichester 0 0 2 0 
			 Chorley 0 0 0 0 
			 Clerkenwell 0 0 0 0 
			 Colchester 0 0 0 0 
			 Consett 0 0 0 0 
			 Conwy and Colwyn 2 0 1 0 
			 Coventry 0 0 0 0 
			 Crewe 0 0 0 0 
			 Croydon 0 0 0 0 
			 Darlington 0 0 0 0 
			 Dartford 0 0 0 0 
			 Derby 0 0 0 0 
			 Dewsbury 0 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster 0 0 0 0 
			 Dudley 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 
			 Eastbourne 0 0 0 2 
			 Epsom 0 0 0 0 
			 Evesham 0 0 0 0 
			 Exeter 0 8 0 15 
			 Gateshead 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucester 1 1 0 0 
			 Grantham 0 0 0 0 
			 Gravesend 0 0 0 0 
			 Grimsby 1 0 0 0 
			 Guildford 0 0 0 0 
			 Halifax 0 0 0 0 
			 Harlow 0 0 0 0 
			 Harrogate 0 0 0 0 
			 Hartlepool 0 0 0 0 
			 Hastings 1 0 2 0 
			 Haverfordwest 0 0 0 0 
			 Haywards Heath 0 0 0 0 
			 Hereford 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertford 0 0 0 0 
			 High Wycombe 1 0 0 1 
			 Hitchin 0 0 0 0 
			 Horsham 0 1 0 0 
			 Huddersfield 0 0 0 0 
			 Huntingdon 0 0 0 0 
			 Ilford 0 0 0 0 
			 Ipswich 4 4 5 1 
			 Keighley 0 0 0 0 
			 Kendal 0 0 0 0 
			 Kettering 0 0 0 0 
			 Kidderminster 0 0 0 0 
			 King's Lynn 0 0 0 0 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 0 0 0 5 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 0 0 0 0 
			 Lambeth 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancaster 0 0 0 0 
			 Leeds 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicester 0 0 0 0 
			 Leigh 0 0 0 0 
			 Lewes 0 0 0 0 
			 Lichfield 0 0 0 0 
			 Lincoln 0 0 0 0 
			 Liverpool 0 0 0 0 
			 Llanelli 0 0 0 0 
			 Llangefni 0 0 0 0 
			 Lowestoft 0 0 0 0 
			 Ludlow 0 0 0 0 
			 Luton 0 0 0 0 
			 Macclesfield 8 0 0 0 
			 Maidstone 0 0 0 0 
			 Manchester 0 0 0 0 
			 Mansfield 0 2 0 0 
			 Mayors and City 0 0 0 0 
			 Medway 0 0 0 0 
			 Melton Mowbray 0 0 0 0 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 2 0 0 0 
			 Teesside 0 0 0 0 
			 Mold 1 0 0 0 
			 Monmouth 0 0 0 0 
			 Morpeth 0 0 0 0 
			 Neath and Port Talbot 0 0 0 0 
			 Nelson 0 0 0 0 
			 Newark 0 0 0 0 
			 Newbury 0 0 0 1 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 0 0 0 0 
			 Newport (IoW) 0 0 0 0 
			 Newport (Gwent) 0 0 0 0 
			 Northampton 0 0 0 0 
			 North Shields 0 0 0 0 
			 Northwich 0 0 0 0 
			 Norwich 4 0 0 0 
			 Nottingham 0 0 0 0 
			 Nuneaton 0 0 0 0 
			 Oldham 0 0 0 0 
			 Oswestry 0 0 0 0 
			 Oxford 0 1 0 0 
			 Penrith 0 0 0 0 
			 Penzance 1 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough 0 0 0 0 
			 Plymouth 0 0 0 0 
			 Pontefract 4 9 1 0 
			 Pontypool 0 0 0 0 
			 Pontypridd 0 0 0 0 
			 Poole 0 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 
			 Preston 0 0 0 0 
			 Rawtenstall 0 0 0 0 
			 Reading 1 1 0 0 
			 Redditch 0 0 0 0 
			 Reigate 0 0 0 0 
			 Rhyl 0 0 0 0 
			 Rotherham 0 0 0 0 
			 Rugby 0 0 0 0 
			 Runcorn 0 0 0 0 
			 St Albans 0 0 3 0 
			 St Helens 0 0 0 0 
			 Salford 0 0 0 0 
			 Salisbury 0 0 0 0 
			 Scarborough 0 0 0 0 
			 Scunthorpe 0 1 0 0 
			 Sheffield 0 0 0 0 
			 Shoreditch 0 0 0 0 
			 Shrewsbury 0 0 0 0 
			 Skegness 0 0 0 0 
			 Skipton 0 0 0 0 
			 Slough 0 0 1 0 
			 Southampton 0 0 0 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 0 
			 Southport 0 0 0 1 
			 South Shields 0 0 0 0 
			 Stafford 0 0 0 0 
			 Staines 0 0 0 0 
			 Northampton Bulk Centre 2 0 0 0 
			 Stockport 0 0 0 0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0 0 0 
			 Stourbridge 0 0 0 1 
			 Stratford 0 0 0 0 
			 Sunderland 0 0 0 0 
			 Swansea 0 0 0 0 
			 Swindon 0 0 0 0 
			 Tamworth 0 0 0 0 
			 Taunton 2 1 0 0 
			 Thanet 0 0 0 0 
			 Torquay 0 0 0 0 
			 Trowbridge 2 1 1 0 
			 Truro 0 1 0 0 
			 Tunbridge Wells 2 0 0 0 
			 Uxbridge 8 2 0 0 
			 Wakefield 0 0 0 0 
			 Walsall 0 0 0 0 
			 Wandsworth 0 0 0 0 
			 Warrington 0 0 0 0 
			 Warwick 0 0 0 0 
			 Watford 0 2 2 0 
			 Wellingborough 0 0 0 0 
			 Telford 0 0 0 0 
			 Welshpool and Newton 0 0 0 0 
			 West Bromwich 0 0 0 0 
			 West London 6 3 25 2 
			 Weston-super-Mare 0 0 0 0 
			 Weymouth 1 1 0 0 
			 Central London 0 3 5 0 
			 Whitehaven 0 0 0 0 
			 Wigan 0 0 0 0 
			 Willesden 0 0 1 3 
			 Winchester 2 0 0 0 
			 Wolverhampton 0 0 0 0 
			 Woolwich 0 0 0 1 
			 Worcester 0 0 0 0 
			 Workington 0 0 0 0 
			 Worksop 0 0 0 0 
			 Worthing 0 0 0 0 
			 Wrexham 2 0 0 0 
			 Yeovil 1 1 0 0 
			 York 1 0 0 0 
			 Romford 2 0 0 0 
			 Milton Keynes 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 86 70 67 47 
			 (1) These manually collected data are not quality assured as part of standard statistical processes (except for as mentioned by footnote 3 below) and cannot be verified by data from the main administrative systems in the county courts. The data for Edmonton county court are excluded as they are being subjected to further quality assurance checks.  Notes: 1. Data from 2007 to March 2009 were gathered from the Department's Management Information System. Data from April 2009 were collected from the courts online data monitoring system One Performance Truth (OPT). 2. 2010 Q3 is the latest period for which data are available. 3. Quality assurance checks have been carried out to remove outliers. However, these decisions have not been verified by contact with the courts. These figures should therefore be treated with caution. 4. IPOs can be given for the possession of both commercial and residential properties from trespassers. 5. Data for 2010 are provisional. Source: Ministry of Justice

Knives: Convictions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of carrying a knife in a public place in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Crispin Blunt: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for having an article with blade or point in public place, by police force area in England and Wales, for the years 1997 to 2009 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 will be available in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts for the offence of having an article with blade or point in public place, by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2009( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000( 4)  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 5)  2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 50 68 113 87 104 144 152 146 128 168 163 145 184 
			 Bedfordshire 24 37 23 40 32 40 57 67 77 61 62 71 83 
			 Cambridgeshire 23 35 31 15 26 46 34 62 54 67 53 77 71 
			 Cheshire 59 65 52 51 36 54 54 48 80 83 108 95 117 
			 City of  London 16 8 4 8 9 17 18 20 18 11 9 6 6 
			 Cleveland 16 32 31 21 42 69 70 80 71 75 89 118 103 
			 Cumbria 32 27 37 27 28 37 45 46 50 39 46 37 75 
			 Derbyshire 39 31 36 40 53 68 82 99 78 77 99 71 95 
			 Devon and Cornwall 46 78 75 69 71 108 128 126 140 119 137 142 165 
			 Dorset 19 41 32 31 32 55 49 59 60 66 62 53 73 
			 Durham 25 30 34 42 34 76 64 68 89 91 91 43 84 
			 Essex 84 93 96 99 99 103 141 200 174 173 156 144 220 
			 Gloucestershire 16 34 18 17 24 26 32 42 38 38 41 50 61 
			 Greater Manchester 198 239 206 222 280 298 303 344 347 389 390 341 405 
			 Hampshire 96 110 93 106 113 112 152 174 162 160 169 230 218 
			 Hertfordshire 31 28 28 27 24 53 83 84 91 84 68 52 109 
			 Humberside 44 47 65 53 46 69 63 105 114 123 147 126 159 
			 Kent 28 73 84 76 74 33 34 13 12 6 5 83 139 
			 Lancashire 105 120 96 87 105 98 135 157 149 143 148 129 173 
			 Leicestershire 50 65 62 53 65 75 86 97 87 111 115 94 78 
			 Lincolnshire 18 38 54 46 41 50 71 64 53 68 47 88 82 
			 Merseyside 176 168 131 124 120 159 164 198 197 218 214 202 315 
			 Metropolitan police 1,258 1,327 1,081 1,162 1,501 1,866 1,681 1,606 1,693 1,680 1,449 1,720 1,609 
			 Norfolk 29 50 46 36 41 59 69 70 69 61 77 88 106 
			 North Yorkshire 38 33 45 33 45 52 50 69 65 57 51 40 80 
			 Northamptonshire 6 11 14 8 2 2 2 3 6 1 4 31 79 
			 Northumbria 93 101 114 120 150 169 181 208 212 215 254 230 330 
			 Nottinghamshire 46 42 45 46 56 68 85 114 117 144 150 144 197 
			 South Yorkshire 53 61 63 65 114 145 147 116 169 149 137 138 185 
			 Staffordshire 23 38 42 * 33 68 63 69 60 91 84 56 88 
			 Suffolk 31 22 26 30 30 61 52 68 68 106 89 37 78 
			 Surrey 17 11 12 25 32 25 37 40 35 37 42 45 66 
			 Sussex 57 65 92 83 100 127 123 114 121 138 140 148 169 
			 Thames Valley 60 78 74 53 77 84 75 116 144 177 138 136 236 
			 Warwickshire 16 30 24 19 18 26 18 25 23 30 32 50 48 
			 West Mercia 21 37 21 7 6 3 3 13 99 96 100 82 110 
			 West Midlands 174 149 135 203 318 343 327 356 316 380 390 400 455 
			 West Yorkshire 46 40 56 56 87 103 108 172 166 170 189 223 237 
			 Wiltshire 22 36 32 28 36 36 39 50 52 67 48 22 67 
			 Dyfed-Powys 16 22 29 27 31 34 36 38 45 29 35 38 40 
			 Gwent 24 18 20 21 20 33 23 47 36 56 66 49 70 
			 North Wales 47 55 60 42 51 74 61 67 77 113 89 85 78 
			 South Wales 69 95 100 82 93 113 111 124 119 153 140 125 193 
			   
			 England and Wales 3,341 3,788 3,532 3,487 4,299 5,281 5,308 5,784 5,961 6,320 6,123 6,284 7,536 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following offence description and corresponding statute: Having an article with blade or point in public place Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Magistrates

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of applications to become a justice of the peace were successful in the last three years for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: Based on data from 88 of the 101 advisory committees responsible for the recruitment and selection of magistrates in England and Wales, in each of the two years 2007-08 and 2008-09, approximately one third of applicants were successful in becoming a justice of the peace. In 2009-10, approximately one quarter of applicants were successful.

Plants

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment.

Jonathan Djanogly: The MoJ does not have a budget for purchasing flowers for its buildings. Some buildings may have plants in reception areas to create a welcoming atmosphere for staff and visitors.
	However, it would incur disproportionate costs to go to all the buildings the MOJ and its Executive agencies occupy (over 800 locations across the UK-mainly courts, tribunals, prisons and local offices) to find out if any trees or plants have been bought since May 2010.

Public Bodies Reform Programme

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 9-10W, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from  (a) the abolition of 11 public bodes within his Department's area of responsibility,  (b) the merger of four such bodies and  (c) the change in function of four such bodies.

Kenneth Clarke: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
	 Substantive answer from Kenneth Clarke to Lisa Nandy:
	On 16 March 2011 the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Frances Maude) issued a Written Ministerial Statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6bn will flow from public bodies over the Spending Review period.
	For the Ministry of Justice, I anticipate net overall cumulative administrative savings from structural reforms over the Spending Review period of £72.1 million. Overall cumulative administrative reductions from reform of all departmental public bodies are estimated to be £74.4 million over the Spending Review period.

HEALTH

Freedom of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to extend the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to GP pathfinder consortia.

Simon Burns: Throughout 2011-12, a growing number of groups of general practitioner (GP) practices will become pathfinder consortia, and start to take on increasing responsibilities for commissioning on behalf of primary care trusts (PCTs) within the current statutory framework. PCTs will remain statutorily responsible and accountable during the transition period and will continue to be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	Commissioning consortia established in accordance with the provisions proposed by the Health and Social Care Bill would be statutory public bodies and will become fully statutorily accountable from April 2013 onwards. The Bill amends the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to include commissioning consortia.

Blood : Diseases

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the merits of screening for pathogens for those at greater risk of being infected with such pathogens as a result of having received pooled blood products for the treatment of bleeding disorders.

Anne Milton: Clinicians are best placed to advise their patients and offer any appropriately validated tests that they believe to be necessary.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the merits of screening those infected with hepatitis C for the extra-hepatic manifestations identified in the Government's recent review of contaminated blood products.

Anne Milton: We would expect the need for investigation of possible extra-hepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C infection to be considered on an individual patient basis as part of clinical care.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason he has maintained the classification of the hepatitis C virus in two stages; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The two-stage payment scheme for eligible individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection, has been maintained because of expert advice on the impact on life expectancy and quality of life of those individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection and of those individuals who go on to develop related serious liver disease.
	The "Review of the support available to individuals infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants", which has already been placed in the Library, has further details on this.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans to end the two-stage system of classification of Hepatitis C for patients who suffer from a bleeding condition or a condition which increases the risks arising from the liver biopsy required to ascertain whether a patient is in stage 1 or stage 2 of the disease.

Anne Milton: There are no plans to change the current two stage system of classification of hepatitis C, for individuals applying to the Skipton Fund. The two-stage payment scheme for eligible individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection, is based on an expert review of the impact on life expectancy and quality of life of those individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection and of those individuals who go on to develop related serious liver disease. The "Review of the support available to individuals infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants", which has already been placed in the Library, has further details on this.
	Patients have never been required to undergo a liver biopsy in to establish whether they may be eligible for a stage 2 payment. There is a range of evidence that can be provided, including the results of liver function tests, ultrasound scans and radiological examinations.

Brain Cancer: Children

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to increase his Department's funding allocation for specialist care for children with brain tumours during the current Parliament.

Paul Burstow: It is currently the responsibility of primary care trusts to commission services for the care of children with brain tumours from their funding allocations, including specialist care. From 2013-14, the National Health Service Commissioning Board (CB), will take over responsibility for commissioning guidelines and the allocation of resources from the Department.
	During the transition to the NHS CB, the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent committee comprising general practitioners (GPs), academics and NHS managers, will continue to oversee the formulae for the distribution of NHS resources. Further detail on the allocations and processes will be announced in due course.
	"Improving Outcomes - A Strategy for Cancer", published on 12 January 2011, sets out a range of measures to improve outcomes for all patients, including children with brain tumours. A copy has already been placed in the Library. Backed by more than £750 million over the next four years, the Strategy sets out our plans to improve earlier diagnosis, access to screening and treatment and improve patients' experience of care.
	This Strategy includes £150 million for the expansion of radiotherapy services, which includes funding for proton beam therapy (PBT). PBT is a very precise form of radiotherapy which has been shown to deliver improved outcomes and reduced acute and late effects in treating children with cancer, including those with brain tumours.
	The Strategy also confirmed that the principles in "Improving Outcomes in Children and Young People with Cancer", published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, will continue to be a feature of all commissioned services. This guidance serves to assist NHS trusts in planning, commissioning and organising services for children and young people with cancer.

Cancer

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the provision of  (a) cancer services and  (b) mental health services in South Devon.

Paul Burstow: We expect the national health service in South Devon to comply with the national policies on increasing the availability of cancer and mental health services. The national policies are outlined as follows:
	'Improving Outcomes-A Strategy for Cancer', published on 12 January 2011, sets out a range of measures to improve the quality and efficiency of cancer services in England. Backed by more than £750 million over the next four years, the strategy sets out the Department's plans to improve earlier diagnosis, access to screening and treatment and improve patients' experience of care.
	The Department published the national 'No Health Without Mental Health' Strategy on 2 February 2011. It has the twin aims of promoting and sustaining good mental health and well-being in the wider population, and improving the quality of existing services for people across the full range of mental health problems. It looks at prevalence of problems and effective approaches at different stages in life, stressing the importance of prevention and early intervention.
	Copies of both publications have already been placed in the Library.

Cataracts Treatment

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will re-introduce an 18-week waiting time target for cataract treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The right to start consultant-led treatment, including consultant-led cataract treatment, within maximum waiting times remains in the NHS constitution as set out in the NHS Operating Framework for 2011-12. Commissioners should ensure that waiting times performance does not deteriorate and where possible improves during 2011-12.

Commission on Assisted Dying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has been requested by the Commission on Assisted Dying to submit  (a) oral and  (b) written evidence to its inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Professor Sir Mike Richards, National Clinical Director for End of Life Care, has met with the Commission to inform them of progress in implementing the End of Life Care Strategy. The Department has received no requests for written information.

Equality and Excellence: Liberating the NHS

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 2.22 of his Department's White Paper, Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS, Cm 7881, July 2010, if he will make an assessment of personal health budget pilots and their effect on welfare provision.

Paul Burstow: An independent evaluation of the personal health budgets pilot programme is being led by the personal and social services research unit at the university of Kent. The overarching aim of the evaluation is to identify if personal health budgets ensure better health and social care outcomes when compared to conventional service delivery, and how they should be implemented. It does not include analysis of their effect on welfare provision. Full details of the evaluation can be found at:
	www.phbe.org.uk
	Personal health budgets are not income, and are not counted as such when calculating tax obligations or benefit eligibility, even when paid in cash to an individual as a direct payment.

Health Education: Schools

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to issue an invitation for expressions of interest in the Healthy Schools Programme.

Anne Milton: The Department of Health expects to publicly request expressions of interest for running Healthy Schools late in spring of 2011.

Health Services

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to make a decision on the recommendations from the Co-operation and Competition Panel on regional health commissioning in the North West following the complaint from Hanover Healthcare; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 9 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1156W.

Health Services: Privatisation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned which supports the proposition that the privatisation of healthcare providers will increase performance and healthcare provision.

Simon Burns: The Government reject the notion that we are pursuing a programme of privatisation. We have no plans to privatise national health service providers, indeed this is not Government policy. Accordingly, there has been no research commissioned or conducted on this.

Heart Diseases: Children

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential risks arising from increased journey times to children's heart surgery units.

Simon Burns: Journey times have been looked at extensively as part of the review process. All of the options comply with the standards developed in 2010 by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society that stipulate maximum journey times for children who require emergency retrieval by ambulance.

Heart Diseases: Children

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what opportunity hospital trusts had to  (a) comment on and  (b) suggest corrections to the assessments undertaken by Sir Ian Kennedy in respect of children's heart surgery units before the options for consultation were finalised.

Simon Burns: The interim findings were shared with the centres in August 2010. Responses received by the national review team from the centres were shared with Sir Ian Kennedy's panel members so that the panel could consider how to use this information in the preparation of its final report to the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts in December 2010.

Heart Diseases: Children

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of co-locating services for treatment and follow-on care of children's heart surgery patients.

Simon Burns: Sir Ian Kennedy and his panel assessed the centres on the co-location requirements with reference to the accepted definition of co-location as set out in 'Commissioning safe and sustainable specialised paediatric services: a framework of critical inter-dependencies'.
	This guidance, in addition to clarifying that co-location means services either on the same hospital site or on a neighbouring hospital site also sets out which services should be co-located. The relevant professional associations endorse the guidance.
	Sir Ian's findings and recommendations, including those on the extent to which the centres meet the co-location requirements, have been considered by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts in its deliberations. Sir Ian's full report is in the public domain and is available on the NHS Specialised Services website at:
	www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/safeandsustainable
	The review also proposes to reduce journey times for non-surgical care by bringing assessment and follow-on care closer to home through the development of congenital heart networks.

Heart Diseases: Surgery

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on cardiac surgical outcomes; and if he will take steps to maintain adequate time for the collection and benchmarking of data related to such outcomes in the job plans of consultants.

Simon Burns: The Department has received one representation about cardiac surgical outcomes.
	The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' set out how the Government would introduce a new system of accountability for the national health service based around the outcomes achieved for patients. As part of this, the first ever NHS Outcomes Framework was published on 20 December 2010.
	The collection and benchmarking of data on quality and outcomes in all clinical areas is an integral part of raising standards. However, it is for NHS organisations locally to ensure that clinicians have the time to participate in such activities.

Histiocytosis

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department funds research into histiocytosis.

Simon Burns: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government supports medical and clinical research. The MRC is a non-departmental public body that receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The MRC provided funding for a recently completed research project entitled 'Homeostasis of Langerhans and Dendritic Cells in Health and Disease'.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research welcomes applications for support into any aspect of human health. Funding is dependent on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The Department is not currently funding research specifically on histiocytosis.

Histiocytosis

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans  (a) his Department and  (b) each agency or non-departmental public body for which it is responsible plans to raise awareness of histiocytosis among (a) health practitioners and (b) the wider public.

Simon Burns: There are no such plans. Information about histiocytosis for health practitioners and patients is available from a number of sources, including "Clinical Knowledge Summaries" on NHS Evidence and the website Patient UK.

HIV Infection

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the merits of introducing two stages of classification of HIV; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: No consideration was given to the introduction of two stages of classification for HIV.

HIV Infection

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish the submissions he has received in the course of his Department's recent review of the  (a) morbidity and  (b) quality of life of those diagnosed with HIV following the administration of contaminated blood products by the NHS;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) morbidity and  (b) quality of life of those diagnosed with HIV following the administration of contaminated blood products by the NHS.

Anne Milton: Hepatitis C was the focus of the terms of reference of the review in relation to the level of ex gratia payments. No submissions were received from independent experts on the morbidity and quality of life of patients infected only with HIV by contaminated national health service supplied blood and blood products, and no assessment of those issues was made, during the course of the review.
	However, the expert group which provided advice on the spectrum and impact of disease associated with hepatitis C infection was asked to consider the comparison of living with HIV. The final report of the review (a copy of which has already been placed in the Library) acknowledges that the advent of more effective anti-retroviral therapy has improved the quality of life of individuals with HIV, and is likely to markedly improve the prognosis for their hepatitis C infection.

Meat: Hygiene

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed charges to recover the costs of meat hygiene inspection on the independent meat industry in  (a) Wales and  (b) Great Britain;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of small and medium-sized abattoirs in Wales at risk of closure as a result of proposed charges for the recovery of the cost of meat hygiene inspections;
	(3)  what proportion of the cost of complying with proposed charges for recovery of the cost of meat hygiene inspection he estimates will be met by ( a) the abattoir and ( b) customers.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has consulted across the United Kingdom on proposals for full cost recovery by removal of current discounts, with options for a phased introduction and a reduction in charges for low throughput businesses.
	On the basis of the information available prior to the consultation, the FSA estimated that full cost recovery for meat controls would cost the Welsh meat industry approximately £2.2 million, and the meat industry across Great Britain approximately £29.41 million. Of these amounts, the FSA estimates that £1.14 million would be attributable to low throughput, small, and medium meat plants in Wales, and £17.92 million would be attributable to low throughput, small and medium meat plants across Great Britain. The term 'independent meat industry' has been interpreted as meaning the smaller scale businesses, and the low throughput, small and medium meat plants have been used as a proxy.
	The FSA has identified 10 abattoirs in the small category in Wales which are considered most likely to feel the greatest impact of the proposed changes. Meetings or telephone discussions took place with nine of these businesses, and views expressed will be included in the consultation process.
	In the draft impact assessment(1), the FSA notes constraints on the potential to pass costs forward along the supply chain, and has assumed that slaughterhouses will absorb approximately one-third of the cost associated with full recovery charging and farmers the remaining two-thirds. The FSA is currently refining the impact assessment in light of information received in responses to the consultation.
	141 written consultation responses have been received across UK, 20 in Wales, including 11 from Welsh slaughterhouses of varying sizes. A number of stakeholder meetings have also taken place, and views expressed at these meetings have been captured. FSA is in the process of giving detailed consideration to all comments prior to determining its advice to Government.
	(1) The FSA impact assessment has been published on the FSA website at:
	http://food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consultation/meatcharges1110eng.pdf

Medicine: Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many training places for medical students there were in each higher education institution in the academic year  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; how many he expects there to be in the academic year 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The number of medical undergraduate places is agreed with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) periodically. The current agreement is for around 6,200 places to be available in England each year.
	The information (from HEFCE) in the following tables shows the intake of medical students (including overseas students) in each higher education institution (HEI) in the academic year 2009-10, provisional intake for 2010-11 and target numbers for 2011-12.
	
		
			  Intake of medical students (including overseas students) in 2009-10 
			  HEI  Intake 
			 University of Birmingham 428 
			 University of Brighton(1) 147 
			 University of Bristol 268 
			 University of Cambridge 306 
			 University of East Anglia 169 
			 University of Hull(2) 160 
			 Imperial College 309 
			 Keele University 135 
			 King's College London 417 
			 University of Leeds(3) 280 
			 University of Leicester 284 
			 University of Liverpool 397 
			 University of Manchester 406 
			 University of Newcastle(4) 357 
			 University of Nottingham 348 
			 University of Oxford 185 
			 Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry(5) 218 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 387 
			 St George's Hospital Medical School 274 
			 University of Sheffield 255 
			 University of Southampton 252 
			 University College London 285 
			 University of Warwick 186 
			 Total 6,453 
		
	
	
		
			  Provisional intake of medical students (including overseas students in 2010-11 
			  HEI  Intake 
			 University of Birmingham 375 
			 University of Brighton(1) 139 
			 University of Bristol 261 
			 University of Cambridge 307 
			 University of East Anglia 167 
			 University of Hull(2) 152 
			 Imperial College 381 
			 Keele University 137 
			 King's College London 401 
			 University of Leeds(3) 275 
			 University of Leicester 273 
			 University of Liverpool 422 
			 University of Manchester 376 
			 University of Newcastle(4) 369 
			 University of Nottingham 347 
			 University of Oxford 185 
			 Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry(5) 222 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 286 
			 St George's Hospital Medical School 248 
			 University of Sheffield 272 
			 University of Southampton 254 
			 University College London 333 
			 University of Warwick 187 
			 Total 6,369 
		
	
	
		
			  Target number of training places for medical students (including overseas students) 2011-12 
			  HEI  Target 
			 University of Birmingham 385 
			 University of Briqhton(1) 138 
			 University of Bristol 256 
			 University of Cambridge 299 
			 University of East Anglia 168 
			 University of Hull(2) 141 
			 Imperial College 330 
			 Keele University 139 
			 King's College London 415 
			 University of Leeds(3) 263 
			 University of Leicester 245 
			 University of Liverpool 371 
			 University of Manchester 372 
			 University of Newcastle(4) 352 
			 University of Nottingham 336 
			 University of Oxford 186 
			 Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry(5) 216 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 324 
			 St George's Hospital Medical School 264 
			 University of Sheffield 241 
			 University of Southampton 246 
			 University College London 330 
			 University of Warwick 178 
			 Total 6,195 
			 (1) University of Brighton submitted a joint return with the University of Sussex. (2) University of Hull submitted a joint return with the University of York. (3) University of Leeds submitted a joint return with the University of Bradford. (4) University of Newcastle and Durham submitted separately but for comparison purposes have been combined here. (5) Joint return by University of Plymouth and University of Exeter as Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry.  Source: HEFCE

NHS: Accountability

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the existing framework of primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and other organisations to achieving the Government's aims for efficiency, accountability and quality in the NHS.

Simon Burns: When developing the White Paper "Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS" the Government considered whether their aims could be achieved through the existing framework of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs), and concluded that they could not.
	First, PCTs and SHAs lack accountability. The Government's proposals will bring together elected councillors with decision-makers from the national health service, public health and social care on new health and well-being boards within local authorities. This will radically improve local democratic legitimacy, in a more effective and cost-effective way than the original proposal in the coalition agreement of introducing elected members on to PCT boards.
	Second, our proposals will improve the quality of commissioning, which under the current system has failed to deliver sufficient improvements in outcomes for patients. General practitioner (GP) consortia will bring clinical expertise, with decisions made closer to patients, while a stronger role for local councils will bring greater expertise in assessing population needs, and greater integration between local services.
	Third, our aim is to decentralise decision-making, to free front-line professionals from political interference and central targets that distort local priorities. It is not possible to achieve this aim through the hierarchical structure of SHAs and PCTs, which are entirely subject to the direction of Ministers. The Health and Social Care Bill creates a transparent legal framework where local organisations have their own clearly defined functions, with no ability for Ministers to micromanage.
	Fourth, the management costs of PCTs and SHAs have risen disproportionately and are not sustainable. The Government's plans will cut administration spending, saving £1.7 billion every year from 2014-15, to reinvest in front-line NHS services. Savings on this scale would not be possible while retaining the superstructure of PCTs and SHAs.
	PCT and SHA staff will continue to play an important role during the transition. They will increasingly be involved in supporting the emerging GP consortia to ensure that existing skills are retained.

NHS: Contracts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reduce barriers to the award of NHS contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Simon Burns: In terms of suppliers of goods and non-clinical services to the national health service, the Department is currently considering a number of measures to reduce the burden such suppliers face bidding for NHS contracts. These will be announced as part of 'The Growth Review' which will be published shortly by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS).
	In terms of suppliers of clinical services to the NHS, the Government's policy is that for most services, patients will have a choice of 'any willing provider'. This will involve a qualification process for providers and means the need for tendering by commissioners for such services should diminish considerably. In addition, it is expected that the NHS Commissioning Board, when established, will be reviewing contracting and procurement procedures to both simplify them and ensure a greater focus on quality.

NHS: Performance Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned which supports the proposition that establishing an independent commissioning board will increase performance and healthcare provision in the NHS.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill builds on many of the reforms introduced by the previous Government and are based on setting the conditions to ensure quality and productivity increase in the national health service.
	An independent commissioning board will be free to allocate resources in the best interests of patients based on clinical evidence, free from political distractions.
	The consultation White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" set out the Government's vision to create a more autonomous and accountable NHS. We took on board responses which gave overall support for the health reforms outlined in the Command Paper "Liberating the NHS: legislative framework and next steps". The impact assessment that was published alongside the Health and Social Care Bill in January details expected impacts arising from the reforms.
	Copies have already been placed in the Library.

NHS: Surgery

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the  (a) collection and  (b) publication of NHS (i) surgical audit and (ii) clinical outcome data; and what timetable he has set for this exercise.

Simon Burns: The "NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12" sets the direction for the national health service in focusing on outcomes, and sets out the high level outcomes, which the NHS as a whole will be aiming to achieve. Data for all of the indicators in the NHS Outcomes Framework will be published in an open and transparent way.
	It is too early to provide complete details of how outcome data will be collected, but the majority of the outcome indicators are based upon existing data sources. During 2011-12, we will work to refine the indicators in the framework as well as finalising the approaches to measuring and reporting outcomes. We anticipate this detail will be included in the second NHS Outcomes Framework published for 2012-13.
	The Department funds the national clinical audit and patient outcomes programme, comprising 30 national clinical audits covering a range of clinical conditions and interventions. The programme will be extended during 2011-12 to a wider range of conditions and interventions. However, the national clinical audits work independently of the Department. The audit suppliers determine methodologies, data collections and the timing of publications.
	More generally, we are currently analysing responses to the consultation document "Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution" and a Government response will be produced in due course. In this document, we stated our intention to move to a culture in information characterised by openness, transparency and comparability.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in  (a) the reform of the prescription charging system and  (b) the extension of categories of long-term chronic conditions which are exempt from such charges.

Simon Burns: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 630-631W, to the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley).

Respiratory System: Children

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were admitted to hospital due to a respiratory condition in  (a) England and  (b) each primary care trust area in the last year for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The table shows the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the primary diagnosis was diseases of the respiratory system for the under 18 age group in England and by primary care trust (PCT) in 2009-10.
	
		
			  A count of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of diseases of the respiratory system for the age group 18 and under in England and PCT of main provider for 2009-10; Activity in English NHS  h ospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   PCT  of  main provider  18 and under 
			  England  228,481 
			
			  South Gloucestershire PCT 128 
			  Havering PCT 1,920 
			  Kingston PCT 864 
			  Barnet PCT 1,660 
			  Hillingdon PCT 617 
			  Enfield PCT 474 
			  City and Hackney Teaching PCT 939 
			  Tower Hamlets PCT 1,294 
			  Newham PCT 666 
			  Blackburn with Darwen PCT 3,893 
			  Herefordshire PCT 933 
			  Milton Keynes PCT 1,462 
			  Newcastle PCT 2,614 
			  North Tyneside PCT 1,347 
			  Hartlepool PCT 1,657 
			  Nottingham City PCT 1,915 
			  Plymouth Teaching PCT 2,151 
			  Salford PCT 733 
			  Stockport PCT 1,853 
			  Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 2,814 
			  Bath and North East Somerset PCT 1,322 
			  Luton PCT 2,260 
			  Rotherham PCT 1,258 
			  Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 898 
			  Blackpool PCT 1,054 
			  Bolton PCT 2,424 
			  Ealing PCT 865 
			  Hounslow PCT 900 
			  Warrington PCT 1,434 
			  Knowsley PCT 1,576 
			  Darlington PCT 2,521 
			  Barnsley PCT 1,242 
			  Swindon PCT 1,317 
			  Brent Teaching PCT 2,119 
			  Camden PCT 2,798 
			  Islington PCT 589 
			  Croydon PCT 779 
			  Gateshead PCT 1,157 
			  South Tyneside PCT 753 
			  Sunderland Teaching PCT 1,747 
			  Middlesbrough PCT 2,748 
			  Southampton City PCT . 2,210 
			  Medway PCT 2,343 
			  Kensington and Chelsea PCT 1,518 
			  Westminster PCT 1,366 
			  Lambeth PCT 870 
			  Southwark PCT 1,757 
			  Lewisham PCT 1,209 
			  Wandsworth PCT 972 
			  Tameside and Glossop PCT 1,520 
			  Brighton and Hove City PCT 1,123 
			  South Birmingham PCT 105 
			  Shropshire County PCT 1,945 
			  Walsall Teaching PCT 880 
			  Sutton and Merton PCT 1,171 
			  North Somerset PCT 237 
			  Coventry Teaching PCT 1,612 
			  Wolverhampton City PCT 1,960 
			  Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 5,822 
			  Leeds PCT 2,621 
			  Kirklees PCT 2,328 
			  Wakefield District PCT 2,759 
			  Sheffield PCT 3,548 
			  Doncaster PCT 2,638 
			  Derbyshire County PCT 1,335 
			  Derby City PCT 1,414 
			  Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 1,364 
			  Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 2,117 
			  Waltham Forest PCT 1,367 
			  Cumbria Teaching PCT 3,441 
			  Central Lancashire PCT 2,387 
			  East Lancashire Teaching PCT 11 
			  Sefton PCT 1,322 
			  Wirral PCT 1,828 
			  Liverpool PCT 6,431 
			  Western Cheshire PCT 1,385 
			  Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 2,261 
			  Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT - 
			  Trafford PCT 455 
			  Manchester PCT 8,592 
			  North Yorkshire and York PCT 2,641 
			  East Riding of Yorkshire PCT - 
			  Hull Teaching PCT 1,640 
			  Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 3,111 
			  South East Essex PCT 659 
			  Bedfordshire PCT 470 
			  East and North Hertfordshire PCT 1,459 
			  West Hertfordshire PCT 859 
			  Surrey PCT 4,534 
			  West Sussex PCT 1,646 
			  Hastings and Rother PCT 1,549 
			  West Kent PCT 2,686 
			  Leicester City PCT 4,599 
			  Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 3,489 
			  Dudley PCT 1,697 
			  Birmingham East and North PCT 4,183 
			  Stoke on Trent PCT 3,353 
			  South Staffordshire PCT 2,698 
			  Worcestershire PCT 2,276 
			  Warwickshire PCT 1,161 
			  Peterborough PCT 1,840 
			  Cambridgeshire PCT 2,164 
			  Norfolk PCT 2,970 
			  Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 797 
			  Suffolk PCT 2,622 
			  West Essex PCT 665 
			  North East Essex PCT 1,348 
			  Mid Essex PCT 955 
			  South West Essex PCT 879 
			  Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 2,224 
			  Hampshire PCT 1,873 
			  Buckinghamshire PCT 1,356 
			  Oxfordshire PCT 1,711 
			  Berkshire West PCT 1,792 
			  Berkshire East PCT 1,611 
			  Gloucestershire PCT 2,172 
			  Bristol PCT 2,587 
			  Wiltshire PCT 647 
			  Somerset PCT 1,700 
			  Dorset PCT 617 
			  Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 2,231 
			  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 2,292 
			  Devon PCT 2,034 
			  Isle of Wight NHS PCT 420 
			  Bexley Care Trust 1,833 
			  Torbay Care Trust 765 
			  North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 1,747 
			  Notes: 1.  Finished admission episodes (FAE) A FAE is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. ICD:10 codes used; J00-J99 Diseases of the respiratory system 3.  PCT of main provider This indicates the PCT area within which the organisation providing treatment was located.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The WHS Information Centre for health and social care.

South London NHS Trust

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance against objectives for productivity in the hospitals of the South London NHS Trust in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Performance data collected centrally are published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/index.htm
	This includes data on the performance of hospitals of the South London NHS Trust. The national health service is finalising integrated plans which will set out proposals for the NHS to meet the quality and productivity challenge of realising up to £20 billion of efficiency savings by 2014-15 while driving up the quality of services they provide. All savings will be reinvested back in front line care. These plans will be submitted to the Department by 25 March 2011 as set out in the 2011-12 Operating Framework.

South London NHS Trust

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent reports he has received on the adequacy of staffing at the hospitals of the South London Healthcare NHS Trust.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England. Providers of regulated activities must be registered with CQC, and comply with registration requirements regulations that set out essential levels of safety and quality. CQC assesses how trusts comply with these legal requirements and it has the power to impose a range of sanctions where breaches are found. CQC published its review of South London Healthcare NHS Trust on 14 January 2011. It found moderate concerns for the three staffing standards which were assessed.

Squatting

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many buildings on his Department's estate were occupied by squatters in each year between 2006 and 2010; and on how many occasions his Department sought interim possession orders to remove squatters from such buildings in each of those years.

Simon Burns: In 2006 one property on the Department's estate was occupied by squatters and a Possession Order obtained. In 2007 two properties were occupied of which a Possession Order was obtained on one. The properties have now been sold.

Tobacco: Young People

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the health of young people of secondhand tobacco smoke in confined spaces;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to reduce the level of exposure of children to secondhand tobacco smoke in cars.

Anne Milton: The Tobacco Control Plan for England, published on 9 March 2011, sets out the action Government will take across the six internationally recognised strands that make up a comprehensive, approach to tobacco control. This includes protection from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. The Plan is informed by The Impact of Smokefree Legislation in England an academic review of the evidence on the effectiveness of the 2006 smokefree law (which was published alongside the Plan) and by Passive Smoking and children: a report of the Royal College of Physicians. The reports include evidence of the impact of the law on the exposure of children to secondhand smoke.
	Although the exposure of children to secondhand tobacco smoke has come down in recent years, there is no room for complacency. We want smokers to change their behaviour so as to make sure that they do not harm those around them, particularly children in the home or in family cars. We will work with national media to raise awareness of the risks in exposing children to secondhand smoke. The Department's new marketing strategy for tobacco control will set out further details of how we will support efforts to encourage smokefree homes and family cars.
	A copy of both Departmental publications have already been placed in the Library.

EDUCATION

Academies

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials of his Department are employed or contracted to work with schools considering or seeking to become Academies.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 4 February 2011
	There are currently 59 full-time equivalent officials working exclusively in the Department's Academy Converter Division. Of these staff, the majority are Project Leads who work directly with schools seeking information about becoming an Academy or which have applied to convert.

Academies

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to allow academies access to his Department's eligibility checking service.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has worked closely with other Government Departments to develop a free school meals eligibility checking system (ECS). This has made it much easier for parents to apply for free school meals (FSM) and to reduce the stigma that can be associated with applying for them. The ECS enables local authorities to check data simultaneously from the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in order to ascertain whether a parent qualifies for FSM and removes the need for paper proof of benefit. An increasing number of local authorities allow parents to apply online for FSM and receive immediate notification of their eligibility.
	The ECS reduces the burdens on schools associated with FSM administration. This is as a direct result of a Cabinet Office study and report that called for a reduction in the involvement of school staff on administering FSM. As a consequence, the use of the ECS is restricted to local authorities.
	Academies receive funding for FSM processing through their funding formula. Local authorities may check FSM eligibility on behalf of academies and schools and are entitled to charge for this service. Where an authority decides to charge, we would expect the charges to be reasonable so that parents of pupils in academies are also able to benefit from the ECS.

Academies

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of progress on schools acquiring academy status in  (a) Rochester and Strood constituency and  (b) England.

Nick Gibb: At present, six schools in the Rochester and Strood constituency have expressed an interest in becoming an academy. Of these, The Rochester Grammar School and Fort Pitt Grammar School, have signed funding agreements in place and opened as academies on 1 November 2010. The Sir Joseph Williamson Mathematical School has an academy order and is due to convert soon. In addition, The Hundred of Hoo Comprehensive School is due to open as a sponsored academy on 1 September 2011. The Strood Academy opened as a sponsored academy in September 2009.
	In England, as of 4 March the total number of academies now open is 467, of which 264 opened since September 2010, and 195 of these are converters.
	Full details of schools that have formally applied for academy status, as well as a list of academies that have opened in the academic year 2010/11 can be found on the Department of Education's academies website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/a0069811/schools-submitting-applications-and-academies-that-have-opened-in-201011

Academies: Rotherham

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of the proposal he has received for the Three Valleys Independent Academy, Rotherham.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 10 March 2011
	We intend to publish the funding agreements of successful free school proposals in due course because that is the point at which a project will definitely be going ahead.

Adoption

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to review guidance on forced adoption.

Tim Loughton: The term 'forced adoption' is a misleading one. The law and guidance on adoption make clear that children cannot be adopted without their parents' consent unless the court is satisfied that the welfare of the child requires their consent to be dispensed with. We have no plans to change this position but I am currently looking at ways we can insure that contested adoptions are handled fairly and be seen to be handled fairly and always in the best interests of the child.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any Building Schools for the Future projects which had reached financial close have since had their funding reduced.

Nick Gibb: When he announced the specific school projects that were cleared to go ahead under the Building Schools for the Future programme, the Secretary of State also announced that he would continue to look at the scope for savings in all these projects. To that end, Partnerships for Schools has been working with local authorities on a case by case basis to identify potential savings.
	Projects which had reached financial close when the process of identifying potential savings began have not subsequently had their funding reduced.

CAFCASS

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average time taken was for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to  (a) process and  (b) complete care cases referred to it in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The support that CAFCASS provides through the appointment of guardians is only one of the factors that contributes to the length of care proceedings. In public law the most reliable measure of case duration is the Ministry of Justice figures showing the average time from when a care application is made to the courts to its completion. Across all levels of court, the average case duration for care proceedings in England and Wales for the period June to September 2010-the latest period for which figures are available-was 51 weeks.

Children: Finance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what funding his Department allocated to Sure Start children's centres in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(2)  what funding his Department allocated to the Disabled Children Short Breaks scheme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(3)  what funding his Department allocated to the Children's Fund in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(4)  what funding his Department allocated to the Early Years Workforce in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(5)  what funding his Department allocated to the Early Years Sustainability schemes in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(6)  what funding his Department allocated to the Two Year Old Offer in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(7)  what funding his Department allocated to the Challenge and Support scheme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11;
	(8)  what funding his Department allocated to the Intensive Intervention Grant in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(9)  what funding his Department allocated to the Children's Social Care Workforce in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(10)  what funding his Department allocated to Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11;
	(11)  what funding his Department allocated for the Child Trust Fund as part of the Early Intervention Grants in financial years  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Sarah Teather: The following table sets out the funding allocations for each of these programmes in 2008-09, 2009-10-and 2010-11.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  D f E grants to local authorities  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant (SSEYCG)(1,)( )(2) 626,630,517 607,180,130 666,595,113 
			 Sure Start Children's Centres Funding (SSLP and CCs element)(3,)( )(5) 966,164,392 1,192,142,034 1,236,147,890 
			 Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) (SSEYCG) 22,363,495 112,927,387 237,146,050 
			 2 Year Old Offer-Early Learning and Child Care (SSEYCG) 16,994,418 58,306,293 66,744,167 
			 Foundation Learning(4) 17,000,131 18,522,649 19,881,920 
			 Challenge and Support Grant 5,200,000 3,900,000 3,900,000 
			 Intensive Intervention Project 1,074,897 2,596,482 2,800,000 
			 Children's Fund 131,804,428 131,804,428 131,804,428 
			 Children's Social Care Workforce(6) 18,155,996 18,156,004 18,156,008 
			 Child Trust Fund 818,970 1,122,023 1,325,269 
			 (1) Includes all revenue and capital funding paid via SSEYCG excluding Children's Centres element and Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLP), AHDC and 2 year old offer blocks, which are listed separately (2) The Early Years Sustainability and Early Years Workforce categorisations were not in existence for the spending review period 2008-11. Funding which came directly from the Department to support these areas was included within the SSEYCG. Other funding for the Early Years Workforce came indirectly via CWDC and other organisations. (3) Includes revenue and capital funding. (4) Formerly Key Stage 4 Engagement Programme. (5) Published allocations for Sure Start Children's Centres are not individually ring-fenced within the main revenue block of the SSEYCG and therefore are notional. Local authorities have the freedom to spend the available funding flexibly within that block to best meet local objectives and priorities. (6) Funding which came directly from the Department. Other funding for the Children's Social Care Workforce came indirectly via CWDC.

Children: Missing Persons

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with  (a) local authorities and  (b) police forces on arrangements for safeguarding children and young people who run away or otherwise go missing from home or care.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education and I have had no recent discussions with local authorities or police forces specifically on missing children and young people. However, the issue is extremely important to this Department, not least because we know that children who go missing or run away regularly are at risk of harm, including sexual exploitation. We are fully committed to working with the Home Office and other Government Departments to consider what further action is necessary. In so doing, we are taking account of relevant developments including the Munro Review of Child Protection and the transfer of responsibility for missing children from the National Policing Improvement Agency to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

Children: Protection

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in each  (a) local authority area and  (b) parliamentary constituency in England were on the Child Protection Register in each year since 2006.

Tim Loughton: Information on the rate of children who were the subject of a Child Protection Plan per 10,000 children aged under 18 years for 2006 to 2010 has been placed in the Library. Due to the small numbers involved compared to the overall population, rates per 10,000 children are used rather than percentages.
	Rates have not been provided at a parliamentary constituency level due to comparability issues between the CIN census data and the ONS population estimates needed to calculate the rates, which are particularly evident with data at a parliamentary constituency level because of the small numbers involved.
	
		
			  Children( 1)  who were the subject of a Child Protection Plan( 2)  at 31  March each year ;  Years ending 31 March 2006 - 10 ;  Coverage: Local authorities in England 
			  Rate per 10,000 children aged under 18 years 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			  North East  
			 Darlington 29 22 23 30 36 
			 Durham(3) 17 22 21 28 n/a 
			 Gateshead 36 37 40 34 36 
			 Hartlepool 36 42 27 38 65 
			 Middlesbrough 43 40 66 82 109 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 43 67 61 60 64 
			 North Tyneside 24 29 27 31 42 
			 Northumberland 25 28 41 41 42 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 22 19 40 54 56 
			 South Tyneside 26 34 44 35 53 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 24 30 37 49 65 
			 Sunderland 44 35 34 46 72 
			   
			  North West  
			 Blackburn with Darwen 17 16 11 35 47 
			 Blackpool 49 36 55 52 65 
			 Bolton 21 24 31 41 59 
			 Bury 25 23 34 34 29 
			 Cheshire(4) 12 10 12 18 n/a 
			 Cheshire East(5) n/a n/a n/a n/a 19 
			 Cheshire West and Chester(5) n/a n/a n/a n/a 24 
			 Cumbria 12 16 23 27 30 
			 Halton 31 29 24 26 30 
			 Knowsley 30 42 30 38 48 
			 Lancashire(3) 20 22 20 26 n/a 
			 Liverpool(3) 24 36 40 58 n/a 
			 Manchester 28 32 55 57 61 
			 Oldham 16 24 31 43 55 
			 Rochdale 14 21 15 29 39 
			 Salford 27 16 29 49 68 
			 Sefton 24 33 41 54 41 
			 St Helens 37 27 23 31 52 
			 Stockport 21 21 23 28 27 
			 Tameside 20 17 22 34 40 
			 Trafford 34 33 42 45 42 
			 Warrington 23 22 24 22 30 
			 Wigan 14 14 17 ' 32 36 
			 Wirral 36 35 17 33 35 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 Barnsley 40 28 30 35 31 
			 Bradford 22 16 20 24 32 
			 Calderdale 19 26 29 35 34 
			 Doncaster 38 36 50 48 49 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 20 17 17 17 19 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 47 28 23 27 43 
			 Kirklees 22 22 23 24 29 
			 Leeds 20 26 26 26 36 
			 North East Lincolnshire 19 22 25 19 27 
			 North Lincolnshire 24 23 26 25 34 
			 North Yorkshire(3) 25 19 11 19 n/a 
			 Rotherham 19 25 41 51 50 
			 Sheffield 32 38 27 33 41 
			 Wakefield 20 23 31 44 41 
			 York 13 17 23 28 22 
			   
			  East Midlands  
			 Derby 49 57 32 25 41 
			 Derbyshire(3) 18 20 23 31 n/a 
			 Leicester 42 58 51 50 46 
			 Leicestershire(3) 12 11 18 19 n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 26 25 19 15 19 
			 Northamptonshire 12 12 10 15 15 
			 Nottingham 48 59 77 74 82 
			 Nottinghamshire 28 30 26 28- 39 
			 Rutland 11 16 (6)- 13 13 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 Birmingham 42 50 41 55 49 
			 Coventry 31 27 27 44 43 
			 Dudley 17 20 20 26 26 
			 Herefordshire 17 15 19 29 32 
			 Sandwell 26 18 28 31 27 
			 Shropshire 26 27 23 28 43 
			 Solihull 28 17 12 19 33 
			 Staffordshire 22 20 22 26 22 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 22 29 47 36 48 
			 Telford and Wrekin 26 34 42 40 47 
			 Walsall 20 27 29 33 46 
			 Warwickshire 26 27 30 32 45 
			 Wolverhampton 35 24 22 31 46 
			 Worcestershire 16 24 23 28 32 
			   
			  East of England  
			 Bedford Borough(5) n/a n/a n/a n/a 33 
			 Central Bedfordshire(5) n/a n/a n/a n/a 30 
			 Bedfordshire(4) 15 12 15 22 n/a 
			 Cambridgeshire 20 24 29 29 28 
			 Essex 17 21 18 22 26 
			 Hertfordshire 17 16 18 24 26 
			 Luton 30 26 21 31 41 
			 Norfolk 25 20 18 19 31 
			 Peterborough 46 46 22 25 30 
			 Southend-on-Sea 29 34 46 44 45 
			 Suffolk 27 27 31 26 20 
			 Thurrock 17 20 41 35 53 
			  London  
			  Inner London  
			 Camden 54 50 49 69 64 
			 City of London 0 (6)- (6)- (6)- 0 
			 Hackney(3) 32 36 43 43 n/a 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 24 46 49 56 75 
			 Haringey 40 32 48 37 60 
			 Islington 39 33 33 41 39 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 19 21 18 25 29 
			 Lambeth 39 45 48 39 56 
			 Lewisham 41 35 31 35 35 
			 Newham 64 72 58 45 51 
			 Southwark 44 42 48 58 61 
			 Tower Hamlets 25 39 48 55 58 
			 Wandsworth 26 28 37 37 32 
			 Westminster 31 34 26 42 39 
			   
			  Outer London  
			 Barking and Dagenham 30 34 37 36 41 
			 Barnet 16 17 21 20 26 
			 Bexley 15 12 12 17 17 
			 Brent(3) 23 22 30 30 n/a 
			 Bromley 23 21 21 25 37 
			 Croydon 27 30 32 34 43 
			 Ealing 37 50 57 50 56 
			 Enfield 27 23 19 30 26 
			 Greenwich 31 34 36 52 52 
			 Harrow 25 28 23 33 37 
			 Havering(3) 27 15 14 19 n/a 
			 Hillingdon 14 22 26 30 39 
			 Hounslow 34 37 29 37 38 
			 Kingston upon Thames 13 15 19 24 32 
			 Merton 22 30 32 33 30 
			 Redbridge(3) 17 19 22 23 n/a 
			 Richmond upon Thames 13 13 10 9 11 
			 Sutton 16 20 25 35 48 
			 Waltham Forest 33 20 18 25 31 
			   
			  South East  
			 Bracknell Forest 13 16 20 16 26 
			 Brighton and Hove 27 32 40 62 78 
			 Buckinghamshire 14 19 21 24 25 
			 East Sussex(3) 27 36 36 46 n/a 
			 Hampshire 16 16 17 23 23 
			 Isle of Wight 33 23 26 42 29 
			 Kent(3) 23 28 31 32 n/a 
			 Medway 31 30 30 29 41 
			 Milton Keynes 7 4 7 12 11 
			 Oxfordshire 20 16 16 18 19 
			 Portsmouth 41 26 44 48 45 
			 Reading 31 42 35 35 52 
			 Slough 33 20 20 47 38 
			 Southampton 26 27 20 33 41 
			 Surrey 11 18 19 22 21 
			 West Berkshire 9 11 15 16 18 
			 West Sussex 21 20 23 25 30 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 13 22 22 23 21 
			 Wokingham 13 11 13 17 15 
			   
			  South West  
			 Bath and North East Somerset 17 20 18 22 21 
			 Bournemouth 14 19 33 33 51 
			 Bristol. City of 36 40 34 43 37 
			 Cornwall 34 33 27 33 34 
			 Devon 16 19 21 21 29 
			 Dorset 14 19 21 29 43 
			 Gloucestershire(3) 12 17 17 21 n/a 
			 Isles of Scilly (6)- 0 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 18 20 23 28 22 
			 Plymouth(3) 27 38 38 38 n/a 
			 Poole 27 23 27 28 47 
			 Somerset 17 18 22 21 25 
			 South Gloucestershire 18 14 15 25 26 
			 Swindon 13 21 22 24 27 
			 Torbay 19 23 28 38 58 
			 Wiltshire 14 13 10 11 14 
			 n/a = No data available (1) Data includes unborn children. (2) If a child is the subject of more than one child protection plan during the year, each will be counted. (3) These LAs provided aggregate data but did not provide data for the number of children who were subject to a child protection plan at 31 March 2010. (4) Data only available until 2009 due to local authority reorganisation. (5) The local authorities were formed as part of Local Government reorganisation and data were not available prior to 2010. (6) Figures have been suppressed to protect confidentiality.  Sources: 2006 to 2009-CPR3 Survey 2010-CIN Census Mid-2009 ONS population estimates

Children: Separation

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has considered plans to give the non-resident parent a right of access to children in separation cases.

Tim Loughton: The promotion of further contact rights for non-resident parents is being considered as part of the Family Justice Review. The Review Panel is due to issue its interim report at the end of March 2011, with the final report due in the autumn this year.

Connexions

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the level of local authority funding to Connexions services for 2011-12 on the integration of Connexions and Next Steps services into the All-Age Careers service.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 March 2011
	 The Secretary of State for Education wrote to local authorities on 13 December 2010 to announce allocations under the Early Intervention Grant (EIG), making clear that the EIG in 2011-12 will support local authorities' responsibilities in respect of careers guidance for young people.
	It is for local authorities to determine how such services for young people should be delivered, taking into account locally identified priorities.

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011.

Tim Loughton: The proportion of valid invoices paid on behalf of the Department for Education within five and 10 days of receipt respectively was:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Within five days  Within 10 days 
			 January 2011 74.1 92.5 
			 February 2011 78.4 93.7

Departmental Land

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to reduce the size of his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education plans to reduce significantly the size and cost of its estate over the forthcoming spending review period, as part of the drive to reduce costs. This will include a number of key measures, such as making more efficient use of the buildings we retain, the expansion of our existing Flexible Working Policy and enabling surplus space to be disposed of or used by other Government Departments.
	In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines and Property Controls, the Department will also take opportunities to not renew any commercial lease at expiry and to operate break options wherever possible.
	The Government announced in spending review 2010 that as a first step to introducing a more co-ordinated approach to property management in the central civil office estate it would set up, through the Government Property Unit, Property Vehicles for the Central London and Bristol office estate from 2011/12.
	Property Vehicles will be responsible for managing a more co-ordinated Government-wide approach to property. They will manage the estate strategically, achieving more efficient use of the property assets, as well as work with Departments to reduce their estates and maximise the commercial potential of their property portfolios.
	Furthermore the Government announced this month a new system of National Property Controls across the central civil estate. These controls require Departments to adopt a common, disciplined commercial approach to the use of the estate. These build on the success of the Lease Moratorium introduced in May 2010, which to-date has reduced property costs by around £50 million.
	DFE is co-operating fully with both these GPU led initiatives in order to drive down the size of the Department's estate.

Departmental Manpower

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many members of staff were employed in the  (a) Ministerial and  (b) general correspondence units of his Department in each of the last two years.

Tim Loughton: In 2009 and 2010, the Department employed 14.7 full-time equivalent staff to handle ministerial correspondence. The Department's public communications unit employed 117.5 full-time equivalent staff in 2009 and 112.9 full-time equivalent staff in 2010.

Departmental Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which procurement projects engaged upon by  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public body and Executive agency for which he is responsible had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available; and on what date each officer was appointed in each such case.

Tim Loughton: Based on information held centrally on procurement projects during the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11, the Department was engaged on thirty nine procurement projects, all of which had a senior responsible owner appointed. Non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies were involved with 10 procurement projects between 2009 and 2011 which the Department is aware of and all had a senior responsible owner appointed. To gather additional information on procurement projects from non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies and to identify the dates when senior responsible owner were appointed would take costs above the cost threshold for parliamentary questions.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on newspapers and magazines since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: For the period 12 May 2010 to 31 December 2010 the Department has spent £2,848 on newspapers and magazines.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much Barnett consequential funding his Department has provided to each devolved Administration in  (a) 2010-11 to date and  (b) in each of the last three years; and with which programmes such funding was associated.

Tim Loughton: In the 2010 spending review changes in the DEL budgets of the devolved Administrations were determined by the Barnett formula in the normal way. The settlements for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 were published in table 2.22 of the 2010 spending review document (Cm 7942).
	Barnett consequentials relating to each of the devolved Administrations for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are published as part of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Supplementary Material on the Treasury's website under the heading House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett formula:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm
	Updated tables taking account of adjustments since the publication of the 2010 edition of PESA will be published alongside the next edition of PESA later this year.
	Information on the block grants paid by the territorial offices to the devolved Administrations is published alongside the Main and Supplementary Estimates.

Departmental Rail Travel

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK.

Tim Loughton: At present, 1,253 (49%) of staff in my Department at the senior executive officer (SEO) grade and above, have a contractual entitlement to first class rail travel. Despite this entitlement, we have considerably reduced the use of first class travel, as part of our wider drive to reduce spending and ensure more value for money. This financial year, we have reduced the level of first class travel from 33% in April 2010 to 2% in February 2011.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what regulations his Department repealed between 27 January and 28 February 2011.

Tim Loughton: In the period 27 January to 28 February, two sets of regulations were revoked: the School Finance (England) Regulations 2006 and the School Finance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007. These were largely replaced by the revoking instrument, the School Finance (England) Regulations 2011.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what regulations his Department introduced between 9 and 28 February 2011.

Tim Loughton: In the period 9 to 28 February 2011 ("the relevant period"), the Department for Education made four statutory instruments. In addition, two statutory instruments made before the relevant period came into force during the relevant period.
	The following statutory instruments were made during the relevant period but will come into force after 28 February 2011:
	
		
			  Title  Made  Laid  In force 
			 The School Finance (England) Regulations 2011 11 February 2011 18 February 2011 15 March 2011 
			 The Care Standards Act 2000 (Enforcement of Care Standards) (Notification) (England) Regulations 2011 26 February 2011 4 March 2011 1 April 2011 
			 Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children's Homes etc) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 26 February 2011 4 March 2011 1 April 2011 
			 The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2011 28 February 2011 n/a 1 March 2011 
		
	
	The following statutory instruments were made before 9 February 2011 but came into force during the relevant period:
	
		
			  Title  Made  Laid  In force 
			 The Education (School Day and School Year) (England) (Amendment) Regulations2011 26 January 2011 2 February 2011 25 February 2011 
			 The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions (Amendment) Order 2011 31 January 2011 4 February 2011 25 February 2011

Departmental Telephone Services

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria his Department uses to assess the merits of applications for contracts to provide advice line services; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department uses criteria specific to the requirements of each individual helpline, this includes asking contractors to demonstrate:
	 A. How they will deliver the requirements outlined:
	Contact handling requirements
	System requirements
	Provision of a pool of skilled multi-channel advisers
	Recruitment, training and quality management
	Data security and transfer protocols
	Resourcing and efficiency
	Reporting and data capture
	Account management and administration
	Technical and back-end staff
	Fulfilment
	 B. Their values and approach :
	Experience of delivering TUPE
	Flexibility
	Delivering customer service excellence-quality assurance and continuous improvement
	Culture and approach to integration, collaboration and a sense of responsibility to deliver
	Proactivity/initiative and commitment to the improvement of the service delivery and customer service experience
	Experience of working on services which involve liaising with local services and regional variation in service options
	 C. and include:
	Two examples/case studies of similar central Government/public sector projects that have been engaged upon in the last five years, demonstrating how all criteria in section 2 A and B above, have-been met
	Two references from existing central Government/public sector clients where a similar service has been undertaken
	An organisational structure
	List of quality standards/accreditations achieved in recent years, including a listing of any industry/trade bodies of which you are a member
	A full project plan showing timings for set up and 'go live'
	Written agreement to abide by COI's standard framework agreement/terms and conditions
	Any other information that they may consider appropriate to support their contract bid

Education Maintenance Allowance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the effect on the number of students currently participating in the first year of study and receiving education maintenance allowance who will participate in the second year of the study in  (a) Hartlepool constituency,  (b) North East of England and  (c) England following the ending of education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not available centrally as we do not hold data which links EMA recipients to the courses they take or the duration of their courses.

Education: Ofsted

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that provision for people aged 16 to 19 in  (a) school six forms,  (b) sixth form colleges and  (c) further education colleges is inspected and graded by Ofsted using the same criteria in accordance with the proposal in paragraph 6.9 of the Education White Paper, The Importance of Teaching; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: School sixth forms are inspected as part of the inspection of the whole school and graded using the criteria in the Framework for the Inspection of Maintained Schools. Sixth form colleges and further education colleges are inspected and graded using the criteria in the Common Inspection Framework. Ofsted seeks as much alignment as is appropriate between the frameworks. There are, however, different statutory requirements for the inspection of the different types of provision and, consequently, it is inevitable that there are differences between the two frameworks. We believe it is right to continue to inspect the sixth form as an integral part of the rest of the school.
	Paragraph 6.9 of the White Paper envisages common performance measures for 16-19 education and training and we are working towards this aim.

Education: Public Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of public expenditure on education as a proportion of  (a) GDP and  (b) total public expenditure in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The latest figures available are published in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2010 by Her Majesty's Treasury.
	 (a) Estimated public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in 2009-10 is 6.3%.
	 (b) Estimated public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public expenditure is 13.1%.

Educational Psychology

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many educational psychology posts there were in March 2010; and what estimate he has made of the level of such posts in March 2011.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 21 March 2011
	The latest available figures, from the Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies, show that there were 2,156 full time equivalent educational psychologists in service in England in January 2009.
	Information on educational psychology posts is not held centrally. Educational psychology services are demand led and it is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the need and to determine the capacity to meet that need.
	The Department announced on 9 March 2011 a review of the training arrangements for educational psychologists. We are taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the consultation on the Green Paper "Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability" to consider options for placing the training of educational psychologists on a more secure footing.
	Full details of the scope of the review and how to respond to the Green Paper consultation can be found on the Department for Education's website. Those wishing to participate in the review or request further information may contact:
	edpsvch.review@education.gsi.gov.uk

Free School Meals

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to  (a) identify and  (b) support children who qualify for free school meals.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has worked closely with other Government Departments to develop a free school meals eligibility checking system, known as "the ECS". This has increased identification and support for free school meals because it enables local authorities to check data simultaneously from the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in order to ascertain whether a parent qualifies for free school meals and removes the need for paper proof of benefit. An increasing number of local authorities allow parents to apply online for free school meals and receive immediate notification of their eligibility.
	Take up of school lunch is rising. Every day three million children are eating a healthy school lunch which meets the school food regulations. The latest school lunch take-up survey shows that for the second year running, take up of school lunches has increased; it is now 41.1% in primary from 39.3% in 2009, and 35.8% in secondary schools from 35.0% in 2009.
	From 2011-12, the Government will be introducing a pupil premium worth £2.5 billion by 2014-15, to support the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The pupil premium will provide schools with an additional £430 for each child known to be eligible for free school meals, in order to help them boost their attainment. Schools are already promoting and supporting parents in applying for free school meals. We therefore expect that the pupil premium, together with the ease with which parents can now apply, will increase take-up further.

Free School Meals

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons students from households in receipt of working tax credit are not eligible for free school meals.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 15 March 2011
	 Free school meals are intended to provide additional help to children in non-working families as they are not able to claim the additional working tax credit that is available to low income working families with adults working 16 or more hours a week.
	The current eligibility criteria are designed to ensure that those most in need receive the additional help that free school meals provide
	The Welfare Reform Bill will introduce a universal credit, beginning in 2013, to replace current benefits with a single payment, and will therefore remove the current thresholds. It is intended to be a simpler approach and a fairer way of determining entitlement, but it will mean that the current criteria for identifying entitlement to free school meals no longer exist. An alternative way of identifying entitlement is being developed.

Free Schools: Lancashire

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what applications he has received from groups in Lancashire to establish a new free school.

Nick Gibb: As at 16 March 2011, we have received five proposals from groups and individuals in Lancashire to establish a free school.

Free Schools: Norwich

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce his decision on the free school application from the OPEN Youth Trust in Norwich; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: After assessing The OPEN Youth Trust's Free School proposal in the same way as all other Free School proposals and in light of the decision to progress the Norfolk university technical college to feasibility stage, we have decided not to take forward the OPEN Youth Trust's proposal. The proposer was informed of this decision on 10 January 2011.

Further Education: Finance

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future funding of post-16 education; what assessment he has made of the average change in budgets of  (a) 13-18 high schools and  (b) 11-18 secondary schools in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We are currently undertaking a review of the 16-19 funding formula to investigate how the formula might in future better support the coalition Government's aims of transparency and fairness, including alignment with the pre-16 funding and Pupil Premium. The review will also take account of the recommendations from Professor Wolf's review of vocational qualifications.
	We have not yet completed school sixth form allocations-for 2011/12 but will do so before the end of this financial year. An overall assessment of the average change in budgets for schools in 2011/12 has not been possible because we do not yet have the information to do this. Local authorities are responsible for determining pre-16 school funding and we do not receive returns for 2011/12 budgets until 31 March 2011 at the earliest.
	For pre-16 funding, the overall funding in 2011-12 is at flat cash per pupil over 2010-11, and the pupil premium is in addition to that. For post-16 funding, we are committed in 2011-12 to a reduction in the per-pupil funding of no more than 3%.

GCSE

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children taking GCSEs achieved  (a) an A*-C grade in both English and mathematics,  (b) five or more A*-C GCSE grades including English and mathematics in (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09.

Nick Gibb: In the following table, figures for 2001 are based on pupils aged 15; figures for 2008 and 2009 are based on pupils reaching the end of Key Stage 4.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Proportion of pupils taking GCSEs who achieved an A*-C grade in both English and mathematics  Proportion of pupils taking GCSEs who achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and mathematics 
			 2000/01 41.9 40.7 
			 2007/08 48.2 47.6 
			 2008/09 50.2 49.8 
			  Source: School and College Performance Tables

GCSE

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 265-66W, on GCSEs, what the average cumulative number of GCSE entries was per student reaching school year 11 amongst students entered for at least one GCSE up to and including year 11 in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: The average number of GCSE entries among pupils entered for at least one full GCSE aged 15 at the start of the academic year 1996/97 was 8.51.
	The average number of GCSE entries among pupils entered for at least one full GCSE at the end of key stage 4 in 2010 was 7.79.
	The averages include attempts and achievement in previous academic years.
	Short courses have been counted as half a GCSE entry and double courses as two entries. Also, in 2010, accredited iGCSEs have been included.
	Prior to 2005, statistics were based on pupils aged 15. In 2005, statistics based on pupils reaching the end of key stage 4 were introduced, which aimed to take better account of the attainment of pupils learning at different rates. Since 2009, all figures have been based exclusively on pupils reaching the end of key stage 4.
	 Source:
	School and College Performance Tables.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 19 January and 21 February 2011 on Miss Susan McCaffery.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 21 March 2011
	 The Minister of State for Schools, my hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr Gibb), replied on 18 March.

Music: International Baccalaureate

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to the merits of including music in the English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: We are concerned that the number of pupils, especially those in disadvantaged areas, who receive a broad education in core academic subjects is far too small. We want to encourage more pupils to take these core subjects and to bring about greater fairness of opportunity.
	The English Baccalaureate does not include all the subjects worthy of study. We recognise that study in other subjects will be just as valuable to pupils and we will encourage all pupils to study non-English Baccalaureate subjects alongside the English Baccalaureate in order to benefit from a well rounded education. This is why we have kept the number of core subjects small enough to allow wider study. Subjects, such as music, which do not count towards the English Baccalaureate, can and will play a part in a well rounded, rigorous education. Achievement in these subjects, as with all GCSEs, will continue to be recognised in the performance tables as part of the A*-C measure, which will remain the basis for secondary school floor standards.

Pupil Exclusions

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils at secondary schools with  (a) fewer than 800,  (b) 800 to 1,000 and  (c) more than 1,000 pupils have been permanently excluded in each year since 2000.

Nick Gibb: The requested information for 2005/06 and 2008/09 is shown in the table.
	Data on permanent exclusions was collected via the school census from 2005/06. Prior to that year, permanent exclusions were collected via the pupil level annual school census. For consistency, data on permanent exclusions has been provided for the earliest and the most recent year available using school census data. To provide data for further years would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  State-funded secondary schools( 1, 2) : Number and proportion of pupil enrolments( 3)  with permanent exclusions by size of school( 4) , 2005/06 and 2008/09, England 
			   Schools with fewer than 800 pupils( 4)  Schools with 800 to 1,000 pupils( 4)  Schools with over 1,000 pupils( 4) 
			   Number of enrolments with permanent exclusions( 5)  Percentage of school population with permanent exclusions( 6)  Number of enrolments with permanent exclusions( 5)  Percentage of school population with permanent exclusions( 6)  Number of enrolments with permanent exclusions( 5)  Percentage of school population with permanent exclusions( 6) 
			 2005/06 1,860 0.29 1,640 0.25 4,180 0.20 
			 2008/09 1,520 0.23 1,230 0.19 2,690 0.14 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Pupils may be counted more than once if they moved schools during the year, or are registered at more than one school, (4) Headcount or solely registered pupils taken from the January school census. Schools which were not open at the January census have been excluded from the analysis. (5) Data is as returned by schools. (6) The number of pupil enrolments expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils (excluding dually registered) pupils as at the January school census.  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School census.

Pupil Exclusions: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many school children were excluded permanently from schools in  (a) Coventry and  (b) the West Midlands in 2010.

Nick Gibb: Exclusions data for the 2009/10 academic year are not yet available. A Statistical First Release (SFR), which will include national and local authority level data on permanent exclusions, is due to be published in July.
	Information on permanent exclusions for the 2008/09 academic year is provided in the following table.
	The information has been published as part of the SFR Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2008/09, in Table 17, at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000942/index.shtml
	
		
			  Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools( 1,)( )( 2)  number of permanent exclusions( 3)  2008/09 in west midlands Government office region and Coventry local authority (estimates) 
			   Maintained primary( 1)  Maintained secondary( 1)  Special( 2)  Maintained primary; state-funded secondary and special schools( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 4) 
			   Number of permanent exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 5)  Number of permanent exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 5)  Number of permanent exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 5)  Number of permanent exclusions( 6)  Percentage of the school population( 5) 
			 West midlands(6) 120 0.03 600 0.17 10 0.06 770 0.09 
			 Coventry (7)- (7)- 15 0.07 0 0.00 20 0.05 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (3) Figures are as confirmed by local authorities as part of the data checking exercise. (4) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (5 )The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils {excluding dually registered pupils) in January 2009. (6) Regional totals and the local authority total have been rounded to the nearest 10. (7) Less than five, or a percentage based on less than five.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Bullying

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to issue guidance to  (a) teachers,  (b) schools and  (c) local authorities on online and cyber bullying.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 30 November 2010
	In our Schools White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, we announced measures to ensure head teachers take a strong stand against all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying. These measures include radically reducing the existing 481 pages of bullying guidance for schools to make it sharper. We will also encourage the promotion and sharing of good practice, so that what works in one school or area is learnt by others. This will help ensure that excellent ways of tackling bullying and cyberbullying are replicated everywhere.
	We continue to work with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), which is co-chaired by Ministers; the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (James Brokenshire) and I. Several of its members, for example Childnet and BeatBullying, work directly with children, young people and families, as well as in schools, to promote e-safety and tackle cyberbullying. Industry is also working with UKCCIS to self-regulate and promote good practice to make cyberbullying easier to report, and enable prompt removal of harmful content, while making it harder for users to engage in such activity.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the monetary value of the pupil premium will be per qualifying pupil in each year to 2014-15.

Nick Gibb: The level of the pupil premium in 2011-12 will be £430 per pupil. The total amount allocated for the pupil premium is £625 million for 2011-12, rising to £2.5 billion in 2014-15. We have not yet determined how much it will be in the interim years and will review which pupils will be eligible in the future.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in enrichment funding for 16-19 providers on students in deprived communities.

Nick Gibb: The YPLA's 16-19 funding statement set out the Government's key priority to rebalance funding towards disadvantaged students and those needing additional support. That is why we are allocating £150 million of the savings made from removing the requirement to deliver specific activities through enrichment funding in order to increase the targeted funding in the national funding formula which addresses deprivation. Funding for young people that live in the most disadvantaged areas of England and those who are disadvantaged by other circumstances will increase by over a third in 2011/12 to a total of some £770 million. This, along with the additional funding we have also made available to support foundation learning, will ensure that funding is targeted where it is most needed. We have committed to reviewing the funding formula to determine how a 'young person's premium' might operate in future in order to increase attainment by the most disadvantaged students.
	We will not be directing schools and colleges to use the increases in funding for disadvantaged young people in any particular way, because they know best the needs of their students. However, we expect at least some of it will be used to support the sort of enrichment activity that will benefit the hardest to reach young people.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of pupils in Peterborough constituency who will qualify for the pupil premium.

Nick Gibb: h olding  answer  17 March 2011
	 : The pupil premium for 2011-12 will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils that are known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) as recorded on the January 2011 School Census, Pupil Referral Unit Census and Alternative Provision Census. Each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals will attract £430 of funding which will go to the school or academy via the local authority or YPLA if the pupil is in a mainstream setting or will be managed by the responsible local authority if the pupil is in a non-mainstream setting.
	Local authorities will also attract the Looked After Child Pupil Premium for 2011-12 which will be allocated to local authorities for pupils who at some point in the year to 31 March 2010 were looked after continuously for at least 6 months, and who were aged 4 to 15 on 31 August 2009 as recorded on the April 2010 Local Authority return. Each pupil will attract £430 of funding which will go to the responsible local authority that will pass it to maintained schools for eligible pupils.
	The January 2010 School Census allows an estimate of the number of pupils known to be eligible for FSM to be made. In the Peterborough constituency in January 2010 there were 3,352 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £1,441,360. In addition to this there were 37 pupils known to be eligible for the Service child premium, paid at a lower rate of £200 per pupil, which would give rise to a further £7,400. However, these are estimates only and are not necessarily indicative of how the pupil premium will be distributed. It is not possible to determine the number of parliamentary constituency pupils recorded on the Alternative Provision census or recorded as Looked After as they are both local authority, rather than establishment level, returns.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the financial effect on the per pupil funding of each local authority of a school becoming an academy school.

Nick Gibb: Adjustments are made to funding for local authorities for funding that would otherwise have been available to a school, including its share of central services.

Religion: Education

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on  (a) ensuring that free schools are not permitted to teach creationism outside the religious education curriculum and  (b) requiring evolution to be taught as a science in such schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 10 February 2011
	Academies and free schools will benefit from having freedom over the curriculum they deliver. However, we have been clear that creationism should not form part of any science curriculum or be taught as a scientific alternative to accepted scientific theories. We expect to see evolution and its foundation topics fully included in any science curriculum. Under the Government's planned reforms to school inspection, there will be stronger focus on teaching. Teachers will be expected to demonstrate that their subject knowledge is secure. If creationism is being taught as a scientific fact in science or any other areas of the curriculum outside denominational RE and collective worship, this would be noted in the Ofsted report.

Schools: Biometrics

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which information his Department holds on the number of  (a) primary schools,  (b) secondary schools and  (c) sixth form colleges which are using biometric systems; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We do not require schools or sixth form colleges to provide this information.
	However, we estimate based on reports of freedom of information requests carried out by the media and interest groups that approximately 30% of secondary schools and five percent of primary schools use such systems. We have no similar estimate for how many sixth from colleges use biometric systems.
	Legislation in the Protection of Freedoms Bill will ensure that no children's biometric data are taken, in schools or colleges, without parental permission. The Protection of Freedoms Bill will also give children the right to refuse to use biometric systems and ensure that alternatives are provided for children who opt out or whose parents opt out of using biometric technology. The Government believe that with these safeguards in place schools and sixth form colleges should be left to decide if biometric technology is appropriate for them to use.

Schools: Bradford

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the additional school places needed to meet population growth in the Bradford district by 2020.

Nick Gibb: It is the responsibility of each local authority to manage the supply and demand for primary and secondary school places in their area and secure a place for every child of statutory school age who wants one. The Department will continue to provide capital funding and work with local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places.
	The Department does collect information from each local authority on school capacity in maintained schools through an annual survey, which includes local authorities' own pupil forecasts (five years for primary places and seven years for secondary places). The most recent survey data relates to the position at May 2010 and is available on the Department for Education's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/

Schools: Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date he plans to inform schools and further education colleges in Coventry of their allocation of discretionary learner support for 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 March 2011
	 We will be announcing details of the new arrangements for financial support for young people aged 16-19 shortly.

Schools: Drugs

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the revised guidance on managing medicines in schools will be published; and what steps he plans to take to publicise the guidance to all relevant school staff.

Sarah Teather: This Department, together with the Department of Health, is currently reviewing the Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings guidance, published in March 2005. The aim of the review is to produce some clear and concise guidance that clarifies roles and expectations, and signposts good practice. We plan to publish the revised guidance in time for the start of the next academic year in September.
	The revised guidance will be published on the Department's website at:
	www.education.gov.uk/
	We will look for opportunities to publicise it as widely as possible.

Schools: Finance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding he  (a) has allocated and  (b) plans to allocate to the (i) acquisition, (ii) equipment and (iii) running costs of the (A) West London free school and (b) Ark Conway primary school.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education has approved the funding agreement for the West London free school, but has not yet approved a funding agreement for Ark Conway primary school.
	As acquisitions for both sites are ongoing, we are unable to release cost details at this stage. Equipment and running costs for both free school projects have yet to be finalised.
	Full details of costs for both free school projects will be made available shortly after the schools open, and when costs will be fully finalised.

Schools: Rural Areas

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will introduce an education funding formula with the purpose of providing specific support to schools in rural areas.

Nick Gibb: As we said in the White Paper "The Importance of Teaching", our long-term aspiration is to move to a national funding formula for schools to ensure that resources going to schools are transparent, logical and equitable. In order to ensure any move to a new national funding formula is fair, transparent and managed carefully, we will invite views on: the merits of moving to such a formula, the right time to begin the transition to a formula, the transitional arrangements necessary to ensure that schools and local authorities do not suffer undue turbulence, and the factors to take into account in order to assess the needs of pupils for funding purposes. The particular needs of rural areas will be looked at as part of the review. We will also invite views on how to ensure that the transparency of the Pupil Premium as additional resources for schools is maintained as the funding system is reformed. We will publish a consultation in the spring of 2011, following discussion with partners including local authorities, school leaders and teachers' associations.

Schools: Sports

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding from the public purse was spent on sport in schools from each funding source in each year since 2003.

Tim Loughton: A total of £2.4 billion of Exchequer and lottery funding has been allocated to deliver the previous Government's PE and sport strategy since 2003. This includes lottery funding, and joint funding from consecutive spending review settlements for the Departments for Education, and for Culture, Media and Sport, as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 to 2007-08 from lottery funds 686 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 419 
			 2006-07 to 2007-08 519 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 783 
		
	
	It is not possible to calculate the additional funding schools will have allocated to school sport from within their own budgets over this period.

Schools: Sports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister of 24 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 258-59, how much he plans to spend on sports in schools in each of the next three years following the ending of the Schools Sports Partnerships scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education has said he expects levels of provision of sport in schools at least to remain the same. To help make this possible, school sport partnerships will receive funding to allow them to continue to function up until the end of the 2011 summer term. This funding will be used to fund the provision of physical education and sport; to embed existing good practice throughout the system; and to introduce sporting competitions for more pupils as part of the coalition Government's School games.
	In addition, we will make available £65 million of new funding for schools to enable them to provide more opportunities for competitive sport. This funding will pay for one day a week of a secondary PE teacher's time to be spent out of the classroom, encouraging greater take-up of competitive sport in primary schools and securing a fixture network for schools to increase the amount of intra-and inter-school competition. We will be writing to schools with further details shortly.
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (Mr Hunt) recently announced the creation of a network of school games organisers. These games organisers will work with released PE teachers to ensure every primary school pupil has access to high quality competitive sport.
	This approach will mean that funding and support are there so that schools can continue to work in partnerships to deliver sport if they wish to, in order to increase competitive sport.

Schools: Sports

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has undertaken an assessment of the effects on the level of participation in sport among young people of the withdrawal of funding for School Sports Partnerships.

Tim Loughton: We do not expect any adverse effect on the level of participation in sport resulting from our new approach to funding school sports.
	The new direction of travel, and initial funding, for the coalition Government's new approach on school sports was announced by the Secretary of State in December 2010. The proposals will encourage more pupils to play competitive sports and to give schools and teachers more control over what is taught and how they teach.
	Furthermore, physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject of the National Curriculum, and all pupils must take part in sport activities that are part of their school's teaching of PE unless they are disapplied. In announcing the review of the National Curriculum in January 2011, we have made clear that we will retain the legal requirement for all maintained schools to continue to provide PE for all pupils of compulsory school age. The first phase of the review will refocus the programme of study for PE to encourage competitive sport.

Schools: Sports

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department allocated to school sports partnerships in Brighton and Hove in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Tim Loughton: All maintained schools in the City of Brighton and Hove belong to the Dorothy Stringer School Sport Partnership. The funding allocated to this partnership in 2007, 2008 and 2009 was as follows: £349,771 in 2007, £388,308 in 2008, and £388,287 in 2009.

Schools: Sports

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the long-term effects of his Department's changes to school sports funding on public health.

Tim Loughton: The Government are putting in place, and funding, a simpler and more sustainable approach to physical education and sport in schools. By setting clear expectations for all pupils in the National Curriculum, by giving schools the freedom and funding to deliver as they see best, and by encouraging pupils to play more sport through the creation of a new School Games, the Government expect to contribute to the long-term good health of all pupils.

Schools: Sports

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of school students in  (a) Wallasey constituency and  (b) Wirral borough council participate in five hours or more of school sports each week.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not collect information about student participation in five hours or more of school sport per week, including by constituency or local authority.

Schools: Sports

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the number of students in Rochdale school participating in school sports in each of  (a) the last two financial years and  (b) next two financial years.

Tim Loughton: Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject of the national curriculum, and all pupils must take part in sport activities that are part of their school's teaching of PE unless they are disapplied. In announcing the review of the national curriculum in January 2011, we have made clear that we will retain the requirement for all maintained schools to continue to provide PE for all pupils of compulsory school age.
	The number of students on the roll of maintained primary and secondary schools in Rochdale local authority area in 2009 and 2010, and the number of students estimated to attend in 2011 and 2012, are set out in the table.
	
		
			   Student numbers 
			 2009 31,790 
			 2010 31,410 
			 2011 30,360 
			 2012 30,500 
			 (1 )Source: school census and school capacity survey. (2) School census data is collected in January every year. (3) Student numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Schools: Sports

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects school sport partnerships in Warrington to receive formal notification of their funding for 2010-11.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education notified all School Sport Partnerships of their final funding for 2010-11 on 20 January 2011. This covered final payments to School Sport Partnerships up to the end of the summer term 2011. The Department had previously informed all School Sport Partnerships, on 21 December 2010, of the basis for calculating the grant for 2010-11.

Sixth Form Education: Repairs and Maintenance

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of sixth form colleges that have carried out zero-rated capital works which have made use of the statutory concessions permitting up to five per cent. business use in the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: Sixth form colleges are independent organisations responsible for the management of their own estates and the delivery of their own programmes and services. Neither the Department nor the Young People's Learning Agency collects or holds information pertaining to the proportion of sixth form colleges that have made use of the statutory concessions in relation to zero-rated capital works.

Sixth-form Colleges: Capital Investment

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which sixth form colleges undertook capital works of a monetary value of more than £1 million in the last 10 years; and which such projects attracted a zero rate of value added tax in respect of  (a) less than 10 per cent.,  (b) between 11 per cent. and 50 per cent.,  (c) between 51 per cent. and 90 per cent. and  (d) 91 per cent. or above of the monetary value of the project.

Nick Gibb: Information held by the YPLA has recorded that 73 sixth-form colleges undertook capital works, the costs of which totalled more than £1 million over the last 10 years. The list of the 73 colleges is listed as follows and excludes those institutions that are no longer sixth-form colleges. In addition, some sixth-form colleges will have undertaken capital works that did not require approval and for which the YPLA does not have information.
	The YPLA has not been required to report on VAT rates and levels, but does have access to some information on the amount of VAT that has been paid on each project. However, the information is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs. Sixth-form colleges themselves would hold the VAT information relevant to works that did not require approval.
	 Sixth-form colleges with projects with a cost of more than £1 million during period of April 2001 to March 2011
	 College name :
	Alton College
	Aquinas College
	Ashton under Lyne Sixth Form College
	Barton Peveril College
	Bexhill College
	Birkenhead Sixth Form College
	Blackpool Sixth Form College
	Bolton Sixth Form College
	Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College
	Cadbury College
	Cardinal Newman College
	Carmel College
	Christ the King Sixth Form College
	City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College
	Coulsdon College
	East Norfolk Sixth Form College
	Farnborough Sixth Form College
	Farnham College
	Franklin Sixth Form College
	Gateway College
	Godalming College
	Greenhead College
	Hartlepool Sixth Form College
	Havant College
	Havering Sixth Form College
	Hereford Sixth Form College
	Hills Road Sixth Form College
	Holy Cross College
	Huddersfield New College
	John Leggott College
	John Ruskin College
	Joseph Chamberlain College
	Josiah Mason Sixth Form College
	King George V College
	Leyton Sixth Form College
	Long Road Sixth Form College
	Loreto College
	Luton Sixth Form College
	New College Pontefract
	Newham Sixth Form College
	Notre Dame Sixth Form College
	Palmers College
	Peter Symonds College
	Portsmouth College
	Priestley College
	Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College
	Queen Mary's College
	Reigate Sixth Form College
	Richard Huish College
	Sir George Monoux College
	Sir John Deane's College
	Solihull Sixth Form College
	St Brendan's Sixth Form College
	St Charles Sixth Form College
	St Dominic's Sixth Form College
	St Francis Xavier College
	St John Rigby College
	St Mary's College, Blackburn
	Stockton Sixth Form College
	Strode's College
	Taunton's College
	The College of Richard Collyer in Horsham
	The Sixth Form College Colchester
	The Sixth Form College Farnborough
	Thomas Rotherham College
	Totton College
	Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College
	Wilberforce College
	Winstanley College
	Woodhouse College
	Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College
	Wyke College
	Xaverian College

Special Educational Needs

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria his Department uses to determine which children should be referred to a special needs school; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: Other than in prescribed circumstances, such as for the purposes of an assessment, only children who have a statement of special educational needs (SEN) can be admitted to a special school. Decisions on whether to place children with statements in special schools are for local authorities, acting in accordance with the Education Act 1996 and taking account of the Department's statutory guidance the SEN Code of Practice (2001) and Inclusive Schooling (2001).
	The parents of children with SEN statements can request that their children are admitted to a maintained special school. Where they do so, the local authority must place the child in that school unless it is unsuitable to the child's age, ability, aptitude or SEN or attendance at the school would be incompatible with the efficient education of the other children with whom the child would be educated or the efficient use of resources. Parents can also make representations to the local authority for their child to be educated at an independent or non-maintained special school. The local authority must consider those representations and can arrange for the child to be admitted to such a school if doing so is necessary to meet the child's SEN.
	Local authorities can admit children with SEN statements to special schools even where there parents have requested a mainstream education for their child. If the parents have requested that the child is educated in mainstream schooling without requesting a particular school, the local authority can instead place the child in a special school if mainstream education is unsuitable to the child's age, ability, aptitude and SEN or attending a mainstream school would be incompatible with the education of other children and there were no reasonable steps that could be taken to prevent that incompatibility. If the parents request a particular mainstream school then the local authority also has to consider whether placing the child at the school would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.
	On 9 March the Department published a Green Paper, "Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability", for consultation until 30 June. The document mentions Inclusive Schooling in the context of parental choice of school for their children and asks readers whether they:
	"feel that the statutory guidance on inclusion and school choice, Inclusive Schooling, allows appropriately for parental preferences for either a mainstream or special school".
	The Government will consider responses to the questions in the Green Paper carefully.
	The Green Paper refers to the Government's White Paper "The Importance of Learning" which sets out plans for a new school system. These plans include an expanded Academy programme which will give special schools, starting with those judged by Ofsted to be outstanding, the opportunity to become Academies and the opportunity for teachers, charities, parent groups and others to open special free schools, in response to parental demand. The Government intend to introduce legislation to ensure that the parents of children with statements, or the Education, Health and Care Plans which will replace them, have equivalent rights to request any state-funded school, whether that is a special school, mainstream school, Academy or free school.

Special Educational Needs

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to require schools to record  (a) pupils with a disability and  (b) the type of disability.

Sarah Teather: From 2011 the School Census enabled schools in England to provide information on the disability of children on a voluntary basis. Future collection and publication arrangements for data on disability will be considered in the light of data and collected response to January 2011 School Census returns which will become available in the spring.

Students: Attendance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average attendance rate was of students in further education in each year since 2004 in each local authority area.

Nick Gibb: Information on absence is not collected for further education establishments. The Department collects information on pupil absence for pupils aged five to 15 at the start of the school year from maintained primary, maintained secondary, all special schools, city technology colleges and academies.
	Information on absence can be found in Statistical First Release 07/2010 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2008/09' at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000918/index.shtml

Teachers: Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals for the reimbursement to local authorities in outer London boroughs of the full cost of payment of inner London salary scales to teachers.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 18 March 2011
	In the White Paper 'The Importance of Teaching' we said that we will consult on developing and introducing a clear, transparent and fairer national funding formula based on the needs of pupils, to work alongside the pupil premium. We are aware of the concerns of six London boroughs which are treated as inner London in terms of teachers' pay but outer London for the Area Cost Adjustment in the calculation of their funding. The whole question of the Area Cost Adjustment is being considered as part of the proposals for a national funding formula and will be included in the consultation which will be issued shortly.

Teachers: Redundancy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of teachers who will be made redundant in the academic year 2010-11.

Nick Gibb: No such assessment has been made centrally. The funding settlement for 2010-11 protects funding per pupil for schools in cash terms, and provides additional funding for the pupil premium on top of that.
	It is for schools and employers to make their own decisions in respect of planning any necessary redundancies, although we would expect schools to look to make efficiency gains in areas such as procurement and back office before they consider reducing their teaching staff.

University Technical College: Houghton Regis

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made on plans for a university technical college in Houghton Regis; when it will open; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 18 March 2011
	University technical colleges will be newly-established 14-19 academies which focus on delivering technical education that engages young people and meets the needs of modern business. There has been a very high level of interest in this programme and we need to ensure that we support the proposals which best meet the criteria. The sponsors of the proposed university technical college at Houghton Regis will shortly be invited to send in an application, alongside other proposed UTCs with opening dates of 2012 and beyond. The Department will then decide whether to approve the proposal for further development. Final agreement to open will be subject to satisfactory resolution of any issues identified during the development phase.

Vocational Guidance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many meetings officials of his Department have had with officials of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the implementation of the All-Age Careers Service since November 2010; and at what level each such meeting has taken place.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 March 2011
	Department for Education officials meet very regularly with officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, at different working levels, to discuss the implementation of the all-age careers service. Both Departments are represented on a formally established Careers Guidance Project Board and Advisory Group on the all-age careers service.

Vocational Guidance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much of his Department's funding to local authorities for careers advice and guidance activity in 2010-11 is to be transferred to  (a) All-Age Careers Service,  (b) schools and colleges and  (c) other associated bodies in future years.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 March 2011
	Local authorities will receive funding through the Early Intervention Grant (EIG), which will replace a number of 2010-11 funding streams including the Connexions grant. It will provide substantial funding (a total of £2,222 million in 2011-12 and £2,307 million in 2012-13) with new flexibility to enable local authorities to act more strategically and target investment early, where it will have the greatest impact. We have not proposed indicative allocations for careers advice or for any other activities. This is for local authorities to decide. Schools' budgets are funded through the Dedicated Schools Grant, which is not ring-fenced for specific activities.

Vocational Guidance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he has made for interim information advice and guidance to young people in connection with Connexions services which have been withdrawn prior to the introduction of the All-Age Careers Service.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 March 2011
	 Local authorities will retain their statutory duty to make available services to encourage, enable or assist the effective participation of young people in education or training. Decisions about the design and targeting of such services, including any changes to Connexions services, are for local authorities to make.
	We recognise the importance of communicating clearly to schools how their responsibilities for careers guidance will change, and are developing plans to do so, in order to inform the decisions schools make about appropriate levels of support for their pupils in advance of the formal commencement of the duty to secure access to independent careers guidance in the Education Bill.

Westminster Academy

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1117-8W, on Westminster Academy, what the total  (a) travel and  (b) accommodation costs were in respect of each of the international speakers.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 18 March 2011
	As outlined in the reply of 9 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1117-8W, the Department covered the travel and accommodation costs for each of the international speakers who spoke at the Free Schools Conference in January. This included a return economy flight from the US, accommodation costs at a Government approved hotel and one evening meal.
	The total cost came to £5,265.89, of which £3,054.89 was spent on flights, £2,160 spent on accommodation and £51 spent on meals.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer questions  (a) 34896,  (b) 34897,  (c) 34894,  (d) 34873 and  (e) 34874 tabled on 17 January 2011.

Nick Gibb: holding answer  7 March 2011
	Responses to the hon. Member's questions have been issued as follows:
	PQ 34896-4 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 657-58W
	PQ 34897-7 March 2011,  Official Report, column 889W
	PQ 34894-14 March 2011,  Official Report, column 55W
	PQ 34873-15 March 2011,  Official Report, column 182W
	PQ 34874-14 March 2011,  Official Report, column 55W

Written Questions: Government Responses

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to Question 39943, on allocation of funding through the pupil premium, tabled on 7 February 2011.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 March 2011
	 : A response to the right hon. Member's question was issued on 15 March 2011,  Official R eport, columns 176-77W.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Security

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to introduce a US-style crew personnel advanced screening system at UK airports; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 March 2011,  Official Report, column 831W, given to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray).

Biofuels: EU Law

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the European Renewable Energy Directive's target of 10 per cent. biofuel use for road transport by 2020 on  (a) European wheat prices,  (b) the total amount of agricultural land required for the production of the amount of biofuel required to meet this target and  (c) the pump price of (i) diesel and (ii) petrol in the UK.

Norman Baker: The European Renewable Energy Directive (RED) requires member states to source 10 per cent of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020 and sets mandatory sustainability standards for biofuels and bioliquids. It is anticipated that all member states will meet the majority of this requirement through the deployment of biofuels.
	The Department published an Impact Assessment to accompany the 2009 Renewable Energy Strategy. This estimates that in 2020 the biofuel supplied to meet the RED target will add between 1 and 2.4 pence per litre (ppl) to the price of diesel with petrol prices change within a range between a 2.7 ppl price reduction and a 3.2 ppl price increase. The ranges reflect varying projections of fossil fuel price and agricultural yields.
	We have made no specific assessment on the impact on wheat price or agricultural land. The European Commission has published several studies into the projected land use for biofuels supplied to meet the RED. These are available at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/studies/land_use_change_en.htm

BRB (Residuary): Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget for BRB (Residuary) Ltd  (a) was for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11 and  (b) will be for (A) 2011-12, (B) 2012-13, (C) 2013-14 and (D) 2014-15.

Theresa Villiers: Financial results for 2009-10 are published in BRB(R)'s annual report. The report and accounts for the company are available on their website at:
	www.brbr.co.uk
	Audited accounts for 2010-11 will be published on their website in due course. Spending and income in respect of the company's activities in future years are commercially sensitive.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the revenue budget for departmental administration was as allocated  (a) for 2010-11 by the previous Administration and  (b) in the March 2010 budget.

Norman Baker: The 2010-11 administration cost limit for the Department for Transport was £276,102,000. This figure was agreed as part of the spring supplementary estimate process under the previous Administration and was not revised in the March 2010 budget.

Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the budget for the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.

Norman Baker: The budget for Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee in 2010-11 is £496,000.
	No final budget allocation has been made for DPTAC for 2011-12.

First Great Western

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department have had with the management of First Group on the (i) First Great Western franchise and (ii) the exercise of the 2013 break clause in the franchise agreement.

Theresa Villiers: h olding answer 17 March 2011
	 : The Secretary of State and Department for Transport officials meet with franchised train operators and their owners regularly. These discussions have included First Great Western's options in relation to the termination date of the franchise should it pass the franchise Continuation Review.

Highways Agency: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the Highways Agency revenue budget; how much each action he plans to take will save; and how much will be saved by each such action in each financial year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency is currently working on plans to make the necessary reductions in expenditure within the spending review period ending in 2014-15.
	The three key areas where savings are planned to be made are;
	the delivery of efficiency savings on maintenance
	the delivery of efficiency savings on major road schemes
	the delivery of Traffic Officer Service reforms
	The document published on the 28 October 2010, "Investment in Highways Transport Schemes" describes some of the key actions required. More details on the Highways Agency indicative budgets for the next four years will be published in the 2011-12 Highways Agency business plan which will be available at the end of this month.

Large Goods Vehicles: Driving Offences

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure drivers of light and heavy goods vehicles registered overseas are prosecuted for motoring offences committed in England and Wales.

Michael Penning: The police and examiners from the Department's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) are empowered to demand on-the-spot deposit payments from those offenders who do not have a satisfactory UK address. Such payments are taken either to cover the fixed penalty for the relevant offence or as a form of surety covering the potential fine for an offence which will be prosecuted in court.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the progress of the development of infrastructure in the North East to support low-carbon vehicles.

Norman Baker: The North East was awarded £3 million through the Government's Plugged-ln Places programme to support the delivery of around 1,900 public, workplace and domestic chargepoints for plug-in electric vehicles by March 2013. The project's delivery is currently on-track.

Piracy: Horn of Africa

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the effect on UK shipping of the incidence of piracy off the coast of the Horn of Africa.

Michael Penning: I am in regular contact with my ministerial colleagues in other Government Departments regarding physical protection of vessels, the possible use of armed security companies, and land based solutions for the causes of piracy. Cross ministerial meetings with industry representatives have also been held to discuss the issue.

Piracy: Somalia

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he made of the effects on the UK economy of piracy launched from the coast of Somalia.

Michael Penning: Piracy is a global issue and it is difficult to fully calculate the cost to the UK both in terms of costs to industry and the Government's costs to resource the international efforts on counter piracy off the coast of Somalia. The Department is working with industry to estimate costs to the UK and I have met with them on a number of occasions to discuss this issue. A recently published paper from the One Earth Foundation calculates the global economic costs of maritime piracy to be between $7 billion and $12 billion.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the change will be in the number of fast trains to London from  (a) Coventry,  (b) Liverpool,  (c) Manchester,  (d) Stoke-on-Trent,  (e) Wolverhampton,  (f) Tamworth and  (g) Nuneaton as a result of the High Speed 2 line;
	(2)  how many passenger journeys on conventional trains are projected to be  (a) slower and  (b) disrupted by the High Speed 2 line;
	(3)  which train services would be  (a) slower and  (b) cancelled due to High Speed 2 being built; and which routes would be affected.

Philip Hammond: A national high speed rail network would provide significant opportunities to improve services on the existing network by releasing capacity currently used for long-distance services between major conurbations. Such released capacity could be used in many ways, including additional fast commuter or regional services, or improvements to east-west routes. At this stage, no decisions have been taken on timetables that will not be in operation for at least 15 years.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what analysis his Department has undertaken on the timescales for the realisation of economic benefits from High Speed 2 in  (a) Birmingham,  (b) Manchester and  (c) Leeds;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the economic benefits to  (a) Northampton,  (b) Rugby and  (c) Milton Keynes as a result of High Speed 2;
	(3)  what his estimate is of the monetary value of the benefits of High Speed 2 in each financial year from 2026-27 until completion of the line;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the effect on the economic output of  (a) Birmingham,  (b) Leeds,  (c) Manchester,  (d) London,  (e) the North West,  (f) the North East,  (g) the East Midlands and  (h) the South East of completion of the High Speed 2 line to (i) Birmingham, (ii) Leeds and (iii) Manchester.

Philip Hammond: A national high speed rail network would support balanced and sustainable economic growth across the UK. The Government's proposed Y-shaped network is estimated to bring quantifiable benefits of £44 billion to the UK over a 60-year period, as well as significant additional non-monetised benefits from its contribution to job creation and regeneration and its long-term effect in stimulating growth.
	The analysis undertaken at this stage in the overall project on where and when these benefits might accrue is set out in the suite of documents published to support the current consultation on high speed rail. Further information is available in previous reports prepared by HS2 Ltd and published by the Department for Transport. All of this information is available on the consultation website at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk
	and the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps he has taken to ensure that  (a) highways,  (b) rail and  (c) local transport schemes that his Department is committed to build before 2015 are completed before the opening of High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: The status of existing committed projects will be unaffected by the introduction of HS2.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent meetings he has had with  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations which may offer third party funding for High Speed Rail 2; and what estimates he has made of the level of third party funding for the construction of High Speed 2;
	(2)  when he plans to publish further information on funding arrangements for the cost of High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: The funding principles that the Government propose to employ are set out in the consultation document. Further work on funding options would be undertaken in preparation for a hybrid Bill.
	I have had discussions with large numbers of companies and other organisations about a wide range of issues related to HS2.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the annual passenger numbers using the proposed link between the High Speed 2 and High Speed 1 lines;
	(2)  over what time period the construction cost of the link between High Speed 1 and High Speed 2 will be paid off.

Philip Hammond: Information on the proposed link to HS1, including on the potential demand for services using the link, is set out in a report prepared by HS2 Ltd, which is available at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110131042819/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/proposedroute/hs1connection/
	No estimate has been undertaken at this stage of the commercial viability of the HS1 link that is the extent to which the revenues generated by the HS1 link would be expected to exceed its construction cost.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual cost of potential delays in completion of the High Speed 2 line to Birmingham beyond the target date.

Philip Hammond: The Government have set out a clear programme for achieving their target opening date.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of potential carbon emissions expected to be generated during the construction of High Speed 2;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the annual reduction in carbon emissions which sum to 23 million tonnes as a result of modal shifts following the introduction of the High Speed London to West Midlands line;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of  (a) the carbon emissions expected to be produced by High Speed 2 annually and  (b) the expected change in national carbon emissions as a result of High Speed 2 being operational.

Philip Hammond: Information on the carbon savings generated by the initial London-West Midlands phase of HS2, as well as its construction and operational carbon impacts, has been published as part of the current consultation on high speed rail. In particular I refer the hon. Member to the main consultation document and to the Appraisal of Sustainability. These are available at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/consultation-document
	and
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/appraisal-sustainability
	respectively.
	The Government expect that the full Y-shaped high speed rail network would have the potential to deliver more significant reductions in carbon, as it would be likely to attract higher levels of modal shift from road and aviation; however, no detailed estimate has been made at this stage.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what increase in capacity would result from (a) 14,  (b) 15,  (c) 16,  (d) 17 and  (e) 18 new train paths per hour from High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: The level of additional capacity provided would depend on the service pattern run and the rolling stock used. For example, services through-running onto the existing network would use shorter, classic-compatible rolling stock. The service pattern modelled by HS2 Ltd for the full proposed Y-shaped network is set out in the Economic Case for HS2, published on the consultation website at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of buildings that will be demolished during the construction of High Speed 2; and what the location is of each of those buildings;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the cost to his Department of compensation to be paid to  (a) individuals,  (b) private companies and  (c) local authorities affected by construction of the High Speed 2 line.

Philip Hammond: Data on the likely property impacts of the London to West Midlands line broken down by area are available in the Appraisal of Sustainability published as part of the current consultation. This is available on the consultation website at
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/appraisal-sustainability
	An estimate of the total land and compensation cost is set out in the Economic Case document published as part of the current consultation. This is available on the consultation website at
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/economic-case

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the proportion of the jobs to be created by High Speed 2  (a) as a result of the proposed station at Old Oak Common,  (b) in the West Midlands and  (c) around Euston that will be (i) permanent and (ii) part-time;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time jobs to be created by High Speed 2; and what estimate he has made of the (i) location and (ii) type of such jobs;
	(3)  what proportion of the jobs that will be created by High Speed 2 will be in  (a) London,  (b) the North West,  (c) the North East,  (d) the South East,  (e) the South West,  (f) the East Midlands,  (g) the West Midlands and  (h) the East of England.

Philip Hammond: Information on the numbers, types and location of jobs supported by the initial London and the West Midlands phase of the Government's proposed high speed rail network have been published as part of the current consultation on high speed rail. In particular I refer the hon. Member to the main consultation document and to appendix 3 to the Appraisal of Sustainability, available at
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/consultation-document
	and
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/appraisal-sustainability
	respectively.
	The number of new jobs supported by the full proposed network would be expected to be significantly higher than those from the initial London-West Midlands phase alone; however, no detailed assessment has been carried out at this stage.
	The Government also believe that new high speed links would support broader improvements in economic performance and productivity, as well as helping attract inward investment which would have the potential to support further increases in employment.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual revenue the High Speed 2 will generate once the line has reached  (a) Birmingham,  (b) Leeds and  (c) Manchester.

Philip Hammond: This information is already in the public domain. Details of the estimated fares revenues generated by both the proposed Y-shaped high speed rail network and the initial London to west midlands phase are set out in the 'Economic Case for HS2', published on the consultation website at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/economic-case

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the socio-economic composition of passengers expected to use the new High Speed 2 line.

Philip Hammond: HS2 Ltd estimate that around 30% of journeys on the London-West Midlands line would be made by people travelling for business purposes and the remaining 70% would be made by people travelling for other reasons, with leisure trips likely to be particularly prominent.

Railways: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the High Speed 2 line will be a dedicated high speed track for the route between Manchester and Liverpool.

Philip Hammond: The Government are currently consulting on their proposed national high speed rail network. Under the Government's proposed strategy, Liverpool would be served by high speed services on the London Manchester route through-running on to the conventional network from the main high speed line.

Railways: Construction

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he applied to the selection of interested parties who were invited to the launch of his Department's High Speed 2 consultation; and for what reasons members of anti-High Speed 2 action groups who had registered to attend were not invited.

Philip Hammond: h olding answer 17 March 2011
	 : The launch event for the high speed rail consultation had limited space, and focussed on national and regional business leaders and local Government representatives. Invitations were issued to individuals inviting them to register. These invitations were personal and it was made clear that they were not transferable without prior agreement.
	However, the consultation process has been designed to allow all those interested to learn more about the Government's proposals and to register their views - including through a series of public road shows, a dedicated phone line and comprehensive online information.

Railways: Fees and Charges

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what economic analysis his Department has undertaken on the anticipated ticket pricing plan for travelling at  (a) peak and  (b) off-peak periods on High Speed 2;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect of ticket price on modal shifts to other forms of transport following the introduction of High Speed 2;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proposed cost of travel between  (a) London and Manchester,  (b) London and Leeds and  (c) London to Birmingham on High Speed 2; and what proportion of the ticket revenue is expected to be used for expenditure on (i) the High Speed 2 line and (ii) conventional rail improvements.

Philip Hammond: The modelling work undertaken by HS2 Ltd in preparing an economic case for high speed rail assumes that the existing fares structure on the conventional network would also be employed on the high speed rail network. This appraisal work demonstrates that the high speed line could operate effectively, generating sufficient demand and revenues, without needing to charge premium fares.
	"The Economic Case for HS2", published on the consultation website at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk
	and HS2 Ltd's original report to Government "High Speed Rail: London to the West Midlands and Beyond", available on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/
	set out the results of a number of high-level sensitivity tests relating to different approaches to pricing on HS2 and across transport modes. As the first line would not open, subject to the results of consultation, for another 15 years it would be premature to speculate in relation to the precise fares on any given route.

Railways: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the rail revenue budget; how much each action he plans to take will save; and how much will be saved by each such action in each financial year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Philip Hammond: One of the Government's key objectives is to ensure our railways become more affordable and sustainable. Measures we are taking to reduce the rail revenue budget include:
	Increasing rail fares by RPI+3% for three years from January 2012;
	Reforming the rail industry, including through reforming how rail franchises are let;
	Reprofiling the delivery of the Thameslink and Intercity Express Programmes; and
	Improving the procurement of various HLOS interventions.
	The Department for Transport is currently engaging with the industry in order to agree how all of these changes will impact on levels of subsidy and premia it receives from train operating companies.
	Sir Roy McNulty is nearing completion of his report into value for money on the UK Railway and I expect his recommendations to lead to further actions to reduce the rail revenue budget over time.

Railways: Greater London

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of rail services each day which will be slowed down by the proposed High Speed 2 interchange at Old Oak Common; and how many passenger journeys this will affect.

Philip Hammond: No decisions have been or should be taken at this stage about what proportion of Great Western Main Line services would stop at the proposed HS2 interchange station at Old Oak Common.
	Passengers on any services that did stop at Old Oak Common would see a small increase in journey time into central London, but would benefit from enhanced connectivity to Crossrail, and Heathrow Express, as well as to the proposed new high speed network which would reduce travel times for many journeys to the midlands and the north.

Railways: Greater London

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Mayor for London and  (b) train operators on the reliability of Oyster card readers at ticket barriers at mainline rail stations; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: There have been no discussions between Department for Transport Ministers and the Mayor of London or train operators specifically about the reliability of Oyster card readers.
	The maintenance of Oyster validators is the responsibility of Transport for London.

Rescue Services: Helicopters

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding he has allocated to meeting current requirements for search and rescue helicopters in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has allocated £179 million for funding search and rescue operations at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's helicopter bases during this spending review period. Following the cancellation of the search and rescue helicopter procurement in February, an announcement regarding future search and rescue arrangements will be made once a way forward has been agreed.

Rolling Stock: Safety

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions trains or rolling stock used on the Norwich to London railway line failed reportable safety inspections in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) 2009 and  (d) 2010; and what information his Department holds on instances of employees (i) operating trains and (ii) managing infrastructure on the Norwich to London railway line without the appropriate safety certificate or authorisation in each such year.

Theresa Villiers: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Issues of operational rail safety are a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), as the independent health and safety regulator of Britain's railways, and the relevant rail industry duty holders. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Office of Rail Regulation for further information at the following address:
	Office of Rail Regulation
	One Kemble Street
	London
	WC2B 4AN

Sea Rescue

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) payroll and  (b) running costs of (i) Brixham and (ii) Falmouth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (A) were in (1) 2008-09 and (2) 2009-10 and (B) are estimated to be in 2010-11.

Michael Penning: The payroll and running costs of Brixham and Falmouth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2008-09 Costs  2009-10 Costs  2010-11 Forecast 
			  Brixham MRCC
			 Payroll costs 666,075 681,790 696,291 
			 Running costs 121,147 154,479 123,699 
			 Total costs 787,222 836,269 819,990 
			 
			  Falmouth MRCC
			 Payroll costs 723,121 764,120 787,040 
			 Running costs 166,130 152,906 154,981 
			 Total costs 889,251 917,026 942,021 
		
	
	 Costs include:
	The running costs include some accommodation costs which relate to other Maritime and Coastguard Agency co-located offices and non separable district office costs.
	 Costs exclude:
	Running and maintenance of National Information Communication Technology infrastructure such as radio communications networks, mast and towers, as costs are not held on a site by site basis.
	Similarly, capital project costs such as IT and equipment refresh are not held on a site by site basis.
	Sector Managers (those responsible for managing the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers) pay and cost of Coastguard Rescue Officers.

Small Businesses: Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010.

Michael Penning: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I can inform you that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are represented on specific sector policy working groups wherever possible. In addition, when impact assessments for new regulations are being produced, there is a specific test to ensure that SMEs are not disproportionately affected.

Transport: Sustainable Development

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue budget has been allocated to the local sustainable transport fund in 2010-11; and what measures this allocation will be used to fund.

Norman Baker: Funding for the local sustainable transport fund will commence in 2011-12 and the annual allocations are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15  Total 
			 Revenue 50 100 100 100 350 
			 Capital 30 40 60 80 210 
			 Total 80 140 160 180 560 
		
	
	The overwhelming majority of funds will be used to support projects advocated by local authorities.
	The remainder of funds will be used to support Bikeability training in each financial year, with £11 million revenue funding set aside in 2011-12. The level of Bikeability funding from 2012-15 has yet to be determined. In addition, the following projects will be funded in 2011-12 only, in order to maintain momentum on sustainable travel while local authorities prepare their proposals:
	£13 million for Links to Schools, Bike Club and walking to school initiatives;
	£1 million for the Transport Direct cycle journey planner; and
	£250,000 to take forward business to business initiatives on alternatives to travel.

West Coast Railway Line: Construction

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the costs of a full recast of the West Coast Main Line timetable as a result of High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: There would be costs associated with the reuse of released capacity to improve commuter, freight and other services on existing lines, including the West Coast Main Line. However, these costs are anticipated to be significantly lower than the cost savings generated by the removal of many long distance services from the existing infrastructure, which would be replaced by services on the high speed network. However, no final decisions have been or should be taken at this stage about service patterns or the use of released capacity.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Angel Investors

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in improving incentives for angel investors.

Mark Prisk: Government continue to support the early stage market through Enterprise Capital Funds which can include angel finance as part of the requisite private investment. Often loans to high growth small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise a balanced package of finance comprising Enterprise Finance Guarantee-backed loans and angel finance.
	Tax incentives, including the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), support business angel investment. The Government's Green Paper "Financing Business Growth" published in November 2010 set out that Government will continue to ensure that the targeted tax incentives for investment, the EIS and venture capital trusts, effectively meet their objective of incentivising additional equity investment into small companies, and will continue to seek viable options to ensure the tax system supports, where possible, access to equity finance for SMEs.
	The Government have encouraged its SME investment arm, Capital for Enterprise Ltd., and Business Angel groups to put together a bid to the regional growth fund for a business angel co-investment fund. If the bid is successful, this will boost angel investment in early stage high growth potential companies across England.

Apollo Group and University of Phoenix

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of (i) Apollo Group Inc and (ii) the university of Phoenix to discuss higher education in England since his appointment.

David Willetts: Ministers and officials have not met with representatives of Apollo Group Inc. nor with representatives of the university of Phoenix.
	I have met with representatives of BPP University College of Professional Studies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apollo Group, as a part of wider meetings. Officials will have had conversations with staff from BPP as part of the normal course of business.

Apprentices: Females

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of apprenticeships in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Teesside and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency were taken up by women in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: The following table shows the number and percentage of apprenticeship starts by gender for England, the North East region and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency for 2009/10, the latest year for which full year data are available. We hold information only at region, local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels of geography, therefore data for Teesside is not presented.
	
		
			   Female  Male  Total 
			   Count  Percentage  Count  Percentage  Count  Percentage 
			 England 138,640 49.6 141,030 50.4 279,700 100 
			 North East 9,550 51.6 8,960 48.4 18,510 100 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 350 55.0 290 45.0 640 100 
			  Notes: 1. All Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 apart from Total England figures which are rounded to the nearest 100. Percentages are calculated based on unrounded figures. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Both the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and the Department for Education are responsible for the promotion of equality of access to apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeships Service (NAS), as the body responsible for promoting apprenticeships to employers and to potential apprentices, manages its systems to ensure equal access to information about the programme and to apprenticeship vacancies. A priority for NAS is to address stereotyping and under-representation across apprenticeships including gender, race and disability.

Apprentices: Totnes

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships were created in Totnes constituency in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the number to be created in the next 12 months.

John Hayes: There were 450 apprenticeship starts in Totnes parliamentary constituency in 2009/10, the latest year for which full year data are available.
	The apprenticeships programme is demand led; Government does not set targets for apprenticeships but provides funding and forecasts the overall number of places that may be afforded. We rely on employers and providers to work together to offer sufficient opportunities to meet local demand.
	This is underpinned by this Government's commitment that by 2014-15, we will have in place sufficient funding for 75,000 more adult apprenticeship places than the previous Government were providing.
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices: Totnes

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of apprenticeships in Totnes constituency were taken up by women in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows the number and percentage of apprenticeship starts by gender for Totnes parliamentary constituency for 2009/10, the latest year for which full year data are available.
	
		
			   Female  Male  Total 
			   Count  Percentage  Count  Percentage  Count  Percentage 
			 Totnes constituency 210 48 230 52 450 100 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages are calculated based on unrounded figures. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Both the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and the Department for Education are responsible for the promotion of equality of access to apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeships Service (NAS), as the body responsible for promoting apprenticeships to employers and to potential apprentices, manages its systems to ensure equal access to information about the programme and to apprenticeship vacancies. A priority for NAS is to address stereotyping and under-representation across apprenticeships including gender, race and disability.

Arms Trade

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of the sale of  (a) arms systems,  (b) weapons and  (c) munitions to (i) each other EU member state, (ii) each other member of the Commonwealth and (iii) each other country in each year since 2000.

Mark Prisk: Information on arms exports is published in the annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/publications1/annual-reports/export-controls1
	The information on the website refers to licences issued and does not necessarily equate to goods exported.
	Information on the value of defence export deliveries by commodity type and region was published in the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) UK Defence Statistics. The MOD no longer compiles estimates of identified defence equipment export deliveries because the data does not directly support MOD policy making and operations.
	The final estimates were published in the 2008 edition of UK Defence Statistics (UKDS).
	Data up to and including 2007 is published online in past editions of UKDS (formerly tables 1.13 and 1.14) at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2008/c1/table113.html
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2008/c1/table114.html

Arms Trade: Africa

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1096-97W, on Arab states: arms trade, 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse has been of hosting each official delegation cited in the answer;
	(2)  which members of the Libyan delegation which attended FIAS '10 also visited Royal Air Force establishments; which establishments they visited; and at what cost to the public purse.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 17 March 2011
	 The majority of the costs of hosting these delegations were met by the private sector.
	The estimated costs which were met by public funds were:
	
		
			£ 
			 May 2008 Bahraini Army delegation visit to demonstration of artillery fire control equipment 3,705 
			 July 2008 Bahrain delegation to Farnborough International Air Show 2008 2,908 
			 November 2009 Libyan delegation visit to defence companies 1,929 
			 March 2010 Egyptian delegation at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch 2010 exhibition 2,492 
		
	
	Four members of the Libyan delegation visiting Farnborough International Air Show 2010 also visited RAF Boulmer and RAF Cranwell. The Libyan delegation was lead by two Air Force brigadier generals, and accompanied by two Air Force colonels. The visit was at no cost to the UK Government.

Beer: Competition

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect on public houses of the operation of the beer tie.

Edward Davey: The Government are currently monitoring the industry's progress towards self-reform within the timeframe set out by the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee. The Office of Fair Trading's final decision on the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) super complaint regarding pub ties concluded that the pub sector in the UK is competitive overall and it has not found evidence of competition problems that are having a significant adverse impact on consumers.

Business: Government Assistance

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that small and medium-sized businesses are  (a) aware of and  (b) have access to financial support measures provided by his Department.

Mark Prisk: The Business Link website is the primary channel to provide businesses with information regarding the Government's financial support measures for small and medium-sized businesses, such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG), Enterprise Capital Funds, grants, and regional support, along with a range of practical guides and advice on how to access finance and business support.
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee is available to unlock lending to viable SMEs who lack sufficient collateral or financial track record to access a normal commercial loan. Front line staff at the 44 accredited EFG lenders (including the major retail banks) are offered information and training on EFG and will offer viable businesses an EFG backed loan if the business is not suitable for a normal commercial loan.
	Businesses seek venture capital funding through a number of referral channels including their accountants and business support intermediaries who have relationships with fund managers. A key feature of the publicly supported investment readiness programmes is that they support the referral of suitable SMEs to potential investors (in particular business angels and their networks, and regional venture capital funds).

Business: Regulation

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees would lose the right to  (a) request flexible leave,  (b) statutory maternity rights and  (c) shared parental leave if an exemption from such rights is introduced for micro-businesses.

Edward Davey: The Government has no plans to exempt micro-businesses from current statutory maternity or parental leave provisions.
	We will repeal the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17-year-olds, which were due to come into force on 6 April 2011.
	We estimate that 291,000 parents of 17-year-olds would have been eligible to request flexible working under the regulations. However the extension was expected to generate only 4,600 additional or new requests, as many employers already accept and grant requests for all employees regardless of parental status.
	The Government remains committed to extending the right to request flexible working to all employees in due course. We will consult on this extension later in the spring. This consultation will include questions on the relationship between the micro business exemption on new domestic regulations and the right to request flexible working.

Business: Rural Areas

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department provides to  (a) reduce the burden of (i) taxation and (ii) administration on and  (b) increase the rates of lending to small rural businesses.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	To reduce the burden of taxation on small business, the Government announced in the June 2010 Budget that it will reduce the small profits rate of corporation tax from 21% to 20% from 1 April 2011. This reduction will enable approximately 850,000 companies with profits below £300,000 to retain a greater a share of their profits to reinvest. For small business with employees, the Government announced, from April 2011, a rise in the secondary threshold for national insurance contributions and income tax personal allowance. These measures will reverse the impact of the previous Government's planned £6 billion a year rise in the taxation of labour and will reduce the amount the government takes, from what an employer sets aside to cover wages, before it becomes take home pay.
	The Government launched the independent Office of Tax Simplification in July 2010 and tasked them with a review of tax reliefs and a review of small business taxation. The Office of Tax Simplification's final report on tax reliefs was published on 3 March while the interim report on small business taxation was published on 10 March. The Government will respond to these reports at Budget. The Government is committed to simplification and easing the burden of tax administration on business.
	On 9 February the Chancellor announced a new lending commitment by the UK's biggest high street banks. As part of these commitments:
	The banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to small and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This is a 15% increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
	The banks have also proposed to increase the size of the £1.5 billion Business Growth Fund (set up by the British Bankers Association Taskforce), announced in October last year, which will invest in small businesses with strong growth potential. The four major UK banks had already pledged £1.5 billion to the Business Growth Fund. They have now committed to increase its capital by a further £1 billion over the next three years, front-loaded over the next two years so that more help can be given to businesses sooner. This will increase the amount of equity investment allocated to SMEs, at the same time helping to attract further bank lending to these businesses.
	These measures apply to all small businesses, including rural small businesses.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Edward Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the information provided on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	The estimated pay bills shown include pension costs. Details of pension arrangements are set out in the 'Model contract for Special Advisers' also available via this link.

Departmental Pay

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that his published departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible.

Edward Davey: The coalition Government is committed to improving transparency and the coalition programme includes commitments to publish salary information for the most senior civil servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
	As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the senior civil service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
	Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS (Pay Bands 1 and 1A) were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of that team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March.
	Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 10 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 25th February 2011 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Coalition Government is committed to improving transparency and the Coalition programme includes commitments to publish salary information for the most Senior Civil Servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
	As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
	Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS (Pay Bands 1 and 1A) were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of that team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March 2011.
	Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 10 March 2011:
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking him to ensure that his Departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff in the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) paid over £58,200 per annum.
	Please be advised that the Coalition Government is committed to improving transparency and the Coalition programme includes commitments to publish salary information for the most senior civil servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
	As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
	Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of that team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March 2011.
	Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 9 March 2011:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 25 February 2011, UIN 43545 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In line with guidance issued by the Civil Service Capability Group on 9 October 2010 Companies House publishes the names and responsibilities of all staff in the Senior Civil Service in its Annual Report, which is available on our website. We are not required to publish the names and responsibilities of all staff earning over £58,200, this applies to Non Departmental Public Bodies only.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 10 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 25 February 2011 reference 2010/4219 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking if he will take steps to ensure that his published Departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible.
	The Agency publishes the names and positions of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum within the remuneration report of our Annual Report and Accounts as they are all members of the Management Board. This is available on our website along with a more detailed organogram of the whole Agency.
	The Agency will also publish required staff and salary information as part of the Departmental organisation chart.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 21 March 2011:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, if he will take steps to ensure that his published Departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible.
	The Insolvency Service executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to improving transparency and continuing the Government Coalition programme, which includes a commitment to publish organograms for The Insolvency Service. As part of its annual report, The Insolvency Service publishes a remuneration report providing salary information for the members of its directing board, which includes all members of the Senior Civil Service within The Insolvency Service.

Departmental Policy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what account he has taken of the Compact between the Government and Civil Society in policy development.

Edward Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Civil Society, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd) on 4 March 2001,  Official Report, column 680W.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has a subscription to the  Financial Times Online.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, does not have a Department wide subscription to the  Financial Times online. There are 38 individual user accounts for accessing  FT content online.

Departmental Public Bodies

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which public bodies sponsored by his Department  (a) have been and  (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following his appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence.

Edward Davey: Since May 2010, the Hearing Aid Council, Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board, SITPRO Ltd., Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body have closed. This has resulted in the following number of men and women who are public appointees relinquishing such an appointment in consequence.
	
		
			  Body  Male appointees( 1)  Female appointees( 1) 
			 The Hearing Aid Council 12 1 
			 SITPRO Ltd. 5 - 
			 Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property 4 2 
			 Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board 7 1 
			 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body 16 5 
			 (1) Ministerial appointments as at 31 March 2010, as in BIS Public Bodies Report 2010. 
		
	
	In addition the Government have announced proposals, subject as necessary to legislation and consultation, to abolish: the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal; British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.; British Shipbuilders; Competition Service; Consumer Focus; the regional development agencies. In the event that decisions are taken to abolish these bodies, the following numbers of men and women who are public appointees would relinquish such an appointment in consequence:
	
		
			  Body  Male appointees( 1)  Female appointees( 1) 
			 British Shipbuilders 1 - 
			 Competition Service - 1 
			 Consumer Focus 19 11 
			
			  Regional development agencies   
			 Advantage West Midlands 12 3 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 10 4 
			 East of England Development Agency 9 5 
			 North West Development Agency 11 4 
			 One North East 10 5 
			 South East England Development Agency 11 4 
			 South West of England Regional Development Agency 10 5 
			 Yorkshire Forward 10 5 
			 (1 )Ministerial appointments as at 31 March 2010, as in BIS Public Bodies Report 2010. 
		
	
	There are no public appointments to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. I am not aware of any current appointments to the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal.
	The Government have also announced proposals to:
	Merge: the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission; the Central Arbitration Committee and the Certification Office; and Postcomm and Ofcom;
	Change the status of or reorganise: Competition Appeals Tribunal; Copyright Tribunal; Design Council; Local Better Regulation Office; NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts); UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
	The majority of these proposals are subject to further review, consultation and/or implementation of legislation (primarily the Public Bodies Bill.) It is therefore too early to say what the impact on public appointments will be.

Economic Growth: Birmingham

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department took to promote economic growth and activity in Birmingham in each of the last six months.

Mark Prisk: The White Paper on Local Growth, published in October 2010, sets out the Government's approach to rebalancing the economy and driving sustainable growth. Initiatives include encouraging local enterprise partnerships that will see local business and civic leaders working together to support jobs and growth in their communities, and establishing the Regional Growth Fund, which will provide funding of £1.4 billion over three years to help communities make the transition to private sector-led growth and prosperity, particularly in areas currently dependent on the public sector. Other measures include:
	the budget for apprenticeships is set to increase to over £1,400 million in the 2011-12 financial year with £799 million of this budget set to fund apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds and the remaining £605 million for those aged 19 and over;
	in the June 2010 Budget, the Government announced that new businesses that start up outside the Greater South East will benefit from a three-year scheme that will exempt them from up to £5,000 of employer national insurance contributions;
	the Government will invest over £200 million to establish a network of elite technology and innovation centres to commercialise new and emerging technologies in areas where there are large global market opportunities in which the UK has a critical mass and capability to take advantage of. The first technology and innovation centre, which will focus on high value manufacturing, was announced on 17 March. The manufacturing technology centre in Ansty Park, owned by the universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough, was one of seven centres that will come together to form the technology and innovation centre;
	on 17 March, the Government also published a new streamlined Solutions for Business portfolio of 13 business support products and a good practice guide to help local enterprise partnerships provide support to business;
	also on 17 March, the Government announced the first phase of the Local Government Resource Review. This review will consider the way in which local authorities are funded, with a view to giving local authorities greater financial autonomy and strengthening the incentives to support growth in the private sector and regeneration of local economies;
	the Government have also announced that they are to review almost 22,000 business regulations as part of a drive to cut red tape and will exempt small firms from new domestic laws for three years. Other measures identified as part of the growth review into regulation include:
	repealing the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17-year-olds for all businesses, which was due start on 6 April;
	not extending the right to request time off to train for firms with less than 250 people;
	introducing more transparency into the Government's One-in, One-out rule by publishing the opinions of the Regulatory Policy Committee where they do not believe the evidence supports a new regulation; and
	freeing small companies from unnecessary audit fees by matching the minimum required by EU directives.
	The Government will also continue to provide targeted support for trade and investment, and refocus support for businesses through a national website and contact centre, a business coaching for growth programme and, with the banks and others, a mentoring service with at least 40,000 mentors. In addition, the banks have committed to invest up to £1.5 billion to provide equity funding to small and medium-sized enterprises through their Business Growth Fund.

Employment

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to diversify the economy of areas with high proportions of public sector jobs.

Edward Davey: The Local Growth White Paper launched the regional growth fund the objectives of which are aimed at stimulating enterprise by providing support for projects and programmes with significant potential for economic growth, creating additional sustainable private sector employment and, in particular, supporting those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector-led growth and prosperity.
	In addition, the Chancellor has said that the Budget will introduce enterprise zones focused on reducing the barriers to businesses growing. More on the location of the zones will be announced in the Budget, but some of them may be in areas with high proportions of public sector jobs.

European Southern Observatory

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK of membership of the European Southern Observatory; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The UK is represented in the European Southern Observatory (ESO) by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), who most recently assessed the benefits of membership prior to the 2010 spending review.
	Through the UK's membership of ESO, the UK has access to world-class astronomy facilities, including the Very Large Telescope-the world's most advanced optical instrument.
	ESO membership also allows the UK to participate in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter array project (ALMA), a partnership of Europe, North America, and East Asia, to build an advanced telescope to study light from some of the coldest objects in the universe. Early observations are due to start later this year.
	UK industry benefits from ESO contracts worth about £15 million per annum.

Further Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many patent applications were  (a) made by and  (b) granted to each higher education institution in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Global data on the numbers of patent applications and granted patents obtained by higher education institutions is not readily accessible, especially in relation to those obtained by UK higher education institutions in other countries or through routes other than direct to the Intellectual Property Office.
	However, the Intellectual Property Office is able to provide details of the numbers of published patent applications and granted patents which it has processed for UK higher education institutions for each of the previous five years 2006-10. There are 166 higher education institutions in the UK(1), of which 84 have had UK patent applications published since 2006.
	A full table giving the numbers of published patent applications and granted patents processed by the Intellectual Property Office for each of the 84 institutions follows:
	(1) http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/component/option,com_hei contacts/itemid,87
	
		
			 Number of published patents by year   Number of patents granted by year 
			  Ranking  Higher education institution  Total number  of  published UK patent applications 2006-10  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  Total number granted 2006-10  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 1 The University of Sheffield 59 17 6 14 8 14 11 0 1 4 4 2 
			 2 The University of Cambridge (Cambridge Enterprise) 40 11 13 7 6 3 15 0 5 3 1 6 
			 3 Sheffield Hallam University 26 7 4 1 9 5 8 0 5 0 0 3 
			 4 The University of Southampton 23 6 8 3 3 3 9 1 1 2 2 3 
			 5 King's College London 21 7 5 2 5 2 9 0 0 0 3 6 
			 6 The University of Oxford (Isis Innovation) 20 2 4 2 4 8 6 0 0 0 2 4 
			 7 De Monfort University 19 3 1 10 5 0 7 1 1 0 4 1 
			 8 Cardiff University 17 0 9 2 2 4 3 0 0 1 0 2 
			 9= The University of Dundee 15 3 4 4 3 1 3 0 0 1 1 1 
			 9= The University of Manchester 15 2 1 2 2 8 5 0 0 0 1 4 
			 11= Cranfield University 14 4 1 5 1 3 2 0 0 0 1 1 
			 11= The University of Nottingham 14 3 2 2 1 6 4 0 2 0 2 0 
			 11= The University of Plymouth 14 0 2 7 2 3 8 0 0 0 4 4 
			 14= The University of Bolton 13 1 1 4 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 14= The University of Edinburgh 13 2 4 3 2 2 3 0 1 2 0 0 
			 16= Imperial College (Imperial Innovations) 12 1 5 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 16= The University of Lancaster 12 2 0 3 3 4 2 0 1 0 0 1 
			 16= The University of Warwick 12 7 1 3 0 1 5 0 0 2 1 2 
			 19= The University of Durham 11 2 6 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 4 0 
			 19= The University of Wolverhampton 11 2 3 5 1 0 5 1 0 0 1 3 
			 21= The University of Aberdeen 10 0 1 1 3 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 21= The University of Surrey 10 1 4 0 2 3 3 0 0 1 0 2 
			 23= The University of Bristol 9 4 1 2 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 
			 23= The University of Hull 9 3 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 23= The University of Kent 9 3 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 23= The University of Newcastle 9 2 1 2 3 1 3 0 1 0 1 1 
			 27 The University of Glasgow 8 0 2 1 0 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 28= Brunel University 7 0 1 2 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 28= London South Bank University 7 0 3 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 28= The City University 7 1 3 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 
			 28= The Nottingham Trent University 7 1 0 1 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 28= The University of Bradford 7 2 3 1 1 0 5 2 1 0 1 1 
			 28= The University of Leeds 7 1 1 3 2 0 4 0 1 2 1 0 
			 28= The University of York 7 0 4 2 1 0 3 0 2 1 0 0 
			 35= Edinburgh Napier University 6 0 1 1 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 35= Loughborough University 6 0 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 35= The University of Exeter 6 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 38= The University of Bath 5 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 1 0 1 1 
			 38= Aston University 5 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 38= Coventry University 5 1 0 1 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 38= The Open University 5 0 3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 38= The University Of East Anglia 5 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 38= The University of Westminster 5 0 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 44= The University of Liverpool 4 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 44= The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 4 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 44= The University of St Andrews 4 2 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 1 1 1 
			 44= The University of Sussex 4 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 44= University of London 4 2 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 
			 49= Liverpool John Moores University 3 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 49= Oxford Brookes University 3 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 49= Teesside University 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 49= The Manchester Metropolitan University 3 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 49= The University of Brighton 3 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 49= The University of Greenwich 3 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 49= The University of Reading 3 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 49= The University of Strathclyde 3 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 
			 57= Bangor University 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 57= Bournemouth University 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 57= Glasgow School of Art 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 57= London Metropolitan University 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 57= Middlesex University 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 57= Royal College Of Art 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 57= Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 57= The Queen's University of Belfast 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 57= The Robert Gordon University 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 57= The Royal Veterinary College 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 57= The University of Birmingham 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 
			 57= The University of Huddersfield 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 57= The University of Keele 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 
			 57= University of Hertfordshire 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 57= University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= Aberystwyth University 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= Anglia Ruskin University 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= Birkbeck College 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 72= Heriot-Watt University 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= Imperial College 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= Queen Mary and Westfield College 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= Staffordshire University 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= The University of Leicester 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 72= The University of Northampton 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= The University of Salford 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= University of Abertay Dundee 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 72= University of the Arts London 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Total  629 123 140 118 116 132 173 7 28 27 49 62

Green Investment Bank

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the design for the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: We will be making a detailed announcement in May.

Higher Education: Admissions

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what number and proportion of UCAS applicants were accepted and enrolled onto university courses with  (a) less than 80 UCAS tariff points and  (b) no UCAS tariff points in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09 and (iv) 2009-10.

David Willetts: The information is in the following table. Information on tariff score is only available for UK domiciled applicants.
	
		
			  UK domiciled accepted applicants to courses via UCAS with unknown or no tariff points and 1-79 tariff points 2006/07 to 2009/10 
			   No points or unknown  1-79 points 
			   Applicants  Accepted applicants  Percentage of applicants accepted  Applicants  Accepted applicants  Percentage of applicants accepted 
			 2006/07 139,724 98,300 70.4 14,385 10,169 70.7 
			 2007/08 161,384 117,449 72.8 21,473 15,598 72.6 
			 2008/09 195,028 142,769 73.2 24,002 18,266 76.1 
			 2009/10 211,015 145,694 69.0 28,249 21,455 75.9 
			  Source: UCAS 
		
	
	For the 2008/09 cycle applications formerly handled by the Nursing and Midwifery Admissions Service (NMAS) merged into the main UCAS system. Therefore, this year and 2009/10 are not directly comparable with previous years.
	Applicants with no points will include those whose qualifications are not part of the UCAS tariff framework, and therefore do not carry a tariff score.

Higher Education: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials of each grade in his Department have policy responsibility for dealing with anti-Semitism in UK universities; what sources are available to them to obtain up-to-date information on anti-Semitism in UK universities; what recent reports he has received from officials in his Department on levels of anti-Semitism in UK universities; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Willetts: There are four officials who cover policy on anti-Semitism as part of their remit-by grade these are two senior civil servants, one team leader and one higher executive officer. Policy officials have access to a range of information sources from both across government and external partners, including published reports. I have received information about the most recent Community Security Trust report on anti-Semitic incidents in the UK which reported a continued fall in incident numbers in UK universities, from 97 incidents in 2009 to 44 incidents in 2010 (there were 67 incidents in 2008). The 2009 figure includes 38 incidents, it is believed, committed by one perpetrator leading to a high overall total
	There is no place for racism of any form, including anti-Semitism, in higher education. Universities have access to a strong legislative framework and guidance to help them deal effectively with instances of intolerance, racism and harassment in their institutions. Government would expect them to vigorously tackle these issues when they arise and has supported institutions with key guidance on promoting good campus relations in the sector.

Lasers: Children

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the sale of laser pens to children.

Edward Davey: We have had no recent representations on the sale of laser pens to children.

Loans

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the review by the Office of Fair Trading on the high cost of credit in respect of payday loans; and what progress has been made on establishing an industry-wide statement of practice supporting greater transparency, clarity and simplicity in the short-term loans industry.

Edward Davey: This Department and HM Treasury are carrying out a joint review of consumer credit and personal insolvency that will look at all aspects of the consumer credit lifecycle from the decision to take out a loan through the lifetime of the loan. A call for evidence connected with the review has recently concluded and Government are considering the substantial number of submissions received. The review will also provide a framework for us to consider how best to take forward the recommendations from the recent Office for Fair Trading review of the high cost credit market. Government will make an announcement on next steps following the May local elections.
	The Consumer Finance Association is responsible for the Payday Loan Forum which is considering whether to introduce a statement of practice in the payday loan industry.

Graduates: Medicine and Science

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many medical students graduated in  (a) England and  (b) the West Midlands in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table. Figures refer to graduates domiciled in England and the West Midlands Government office region. Figures for 2010/11 will be available in January 2012.
	
		
			  Medicine( 1)  qualifiers( 2)  from England and West Midlands Government office region, UK higher education institutions, academic year 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Academic year  England  West Midlands 
			 2005/06 7,690 630 
			 2006/07 8,195 725 
			 2007/08 8,585 750 
			 2008/09 9,070 770 
			 2009/10 9,060 770 
			 (1) Covers pre-clinical and clinical medicine. (2) Covers qualifiers from full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses.  Note: Figures are based on a qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Graduates: Medicine and Science

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many medical students graduated from institutions in Greater London in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many students in universities in  (a) Greater London and  (b) England graduated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the tables. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012.
	
		
			  Qualifiers( 1)  from  s cience,  t echnology,  e ngineering and  m athematics  s ubjects  h igher  education institutions in London g overnment  o ffice  r egion and England  a cademic  y ears 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Academic year  Medicine and dentistry  of which; Medicine( 2)  Subjects allied to medicine  Biological sciences  Veterinary science  Agricultural and related subjects 
			  London Higher Education Institutions 
			 2005/06 4,405 405 14,490 6,130 245 370 
			 2006/07 4,340 435 15,375 6,515 260 405 
			 2007/08 4,845 485 13,805 6,330 330 380 
			 2008/09 5,270 605 13,295 7,255 380 460 
			 2009/10 5,655 775 15,170 7,350 330 460 
			  English Higher Education Institutions( 3) 
			 2005/06 10,300 1,140 71,670 32,630 645 3,770 
			 2006/07 10,900 1,210 70,890 35,050 615 3,875 
			 2007/08 11,845 1,430 70,190 37,150 665 3,955 
			 2008/09 12,485 1,705 67,185 38,040 780 4,055 
			 2009/10 13,155 2,160 68,160 41,150 675 4,350 
		
	
	
		
			  Academic year  Physical sciences  Mathematical sciences  Computer science  Engineering and technology  Architecture, building and planning  Total STEM 
			  London Higher Education Institutions 
			 2005/06 2,365 1,320 7,090 5,875 3,010 45,300 
			 2006/07 2,345 1,435 6,370 6,130 3,440 46,610 
			 2007/08 2,415 1,500 5,685 6,220 3,565 45,075 
			 2008/09 2,430 1,690 5,510 6,615 3,910 46,815 
			 2009/10 2,555 1,725 6,390 7,905 4,410 51,955 
			  English  Higher Education Institutions( 3) 
			 2005/06 17,795 7,150 28,905 30,595 12,590 216,055 
			 2006/07 17,310 7,530 26,205 31,375 13,465 217,215 
			 2007/08 17,845 7,755 24,580 32,525 15,250 221,765 
			 2008/09 18,250 8,165 22,650 34,165 15,995 221,775 
			 2009/10 19,240 8,685 24,515 38,475 18,495 236,900 
			 (1) Covers qualifiers from all domiciles, levels of study and modes of study. (2) Covers both clinical and pre-clinical medicine. (3) Includes figures for London Higher Education Institutions.  Note :  Figures are based on a HESA qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest 5.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Overseas Trade

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of UK trade was conducted with  (a) Brazil,  (b) Russia,  (c) India and  (d) China in each financial year since 2001-02.

Mark Prisk: The following table shows shares of UK exports and imports of goods and services on a balance of payments basis. Trade statistics are usually presented on a calendar year basis.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Share of UK exports of goods and services going to:  Share of UK imports of goods and services coming from: 
			   Brazil  Russia  India  China  Brazil  Russia  India  China 
			 2001 0.4 0.5 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.8 0.9 2.0 
			 2002 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.7 0.8 2.3 
			 2003 0.4 0.7 1.0 1.0 0.5 0.9 0.9 2.8 
			 2004 0.4 0.8 1.1 1.2 0.5 1.2 1.0 3.3 
			 2005 0.4 0.9 1.2 1.3 0.5 1.5 1.1 3.7 
			 2006 0.4 1.0 1.1 1.3 0.5 1.5 1.1 3.8 
			 2007 0.4 1.4 1.2 1.5 0.6 1.5 1.4 4.7 
			 2008 0.5 1.5 1.4 1.8 0.6 1.7 1.5 5.3 
			 2009 0.6 1.1 1.2 2.0 0.7 1.4 1.6 6.1 
			  Note: Initial estimates for 2010 are due to be published on 29 March.  Source: BIS from ONS UK Economic Accounts.

Overseas Trade

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which UK companies has made the largest contribution to the economy of  (a) Brazil,  (b) Russia,  (c) India and  (d) China in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: This information is not held centrally and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Overseas Trade

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was in real terms of UK  (a) exports to and  (b) imports from (i) China, (ii) India, (iii) Brazil and (iv) Russia in each year since 2007.

Mark Prisk: The following table shows values at current prices for UK trade in goods and services on a balance of payments basis. There is not sufficient information available on price changes for trade with individual countries to be able to produce real terms values.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK exports of goods and services to:  UK imports of goods and services from: 
			   China  India  Brazil  Russia  China  India  Brazil  Russia 
			 2007 5,460 4,634 1,563 5,126 19,744 5,660 2,338 6,171 
			 2008 7,538 5,908 2,286 6,419 24,517 6,772 2,962 8,000 
			 2009 7,772 4,605 2,439 4,180 25,491 6,541 2,852 5,887 
			  Note: Initial estimates for 2010 are due to be published on 29 March.  Source: ONS UK Economic Accounts

Overseas Trade: Brazil

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value in real terms of  (a) investment in Brazil by UK businesses and  (b) investment in the UK by Brazilian businesses in each financial year since 2001-02.

Mark Prisk: The Office for National Statistics publishes geographical data for foreign direct investment (FDI) in its annual Business Monitor MA4. Data are in current prices on a calendar year basis. The following table shows FDI flows to and from Brazil since 2001 and FDI stocks at 31 December 2009.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK outward FDI  to Brazil  UK inward FDI from Brazil 
			  Flows   
			 2001 352 (1)- 
			 2002 17 (1)- 
			 2003 786 4 
			 2004 386 (1)- 
			 2005 48 6 
			 2006 354 (1)- 
			 2007 791 2 
			 2008 832 1 
			 2009 377 (1)- 
			
			  Stocks   
			 End 2009 4,956 1 
			 (1) Indicates disclosive data

Overseas Trade: India

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value in real terms was of  (a) investment in India by UK businesses and  (b) investment in the UK by Indian businesses in each year since 2001.

Mark Prisk: The Office for National Statistics publishes geographical data for foreign direct investment (FDI) in its annual Business Monitor MA4. Data are in current prices on a calendar year basis. The following table shows FDI flows to and from India since 2001 and FDI stocks at 31 December 2009.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK outward FDI to India  UK inward FDI from India 
			  Flows   
			 2001 135 33 
			 2002 276 1 
			 2003 193 7 
			 2004 274 -15 
			 2005 616 138 
			 2006 104 265 
			 2007 650 151 
			 2008 437 2,638 
			 2009 747 126 
			
			  Stocks   
			 End 2009 9,310 1,841 
			 (1) Indicates disclosive data.  Note: A minus sign indicates a net disinvestment abroad (i.e. a decrease in the amount due to the UK).

Overseas Trade: Russia

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value in real terms of  (a) investment in Russia by UK businesses and  (b) investment in the UK by Russian businesses in each financial year since 2001-02.

Mark Prisk: The Office for National Statistics publishes geographical data for foreign direct investment (FDI) in its annual Business Monitor MA4. Data are in current prices on a calendar year basis. The following table shows FDI flows to and from Russia since 2001 and FDI stocks at 31 December 2009.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK outward FDI to Russia  UK inward FDI from Russia 
			  Flows   
			 2001 498 19 
			 2002 108 (1)- 
			 2003 2,030 (1)- 
			 2004 1,831 (1)- 
			 2005 349 (1)- 
			 2006 -13 (1)- 
			 2007 1,334 332 
			 2008 3,919 1,769 
			 2009 -285 45 
			
			  Stocks   
			 End 2009 10,053 779 
			 (1) Indicates disclosive data.  Note: A minus sign indicates a net disinvestment abroad (i.e. a decrease in the amount due to the UK).

Post Offices: Bank Services

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions the Post Office has had with retail banks on the date by which all holders of  (a) personal and  (b) business accounts at UK retail banks will be able to undertake cash and cheque withdrawal and deposit transactions at Post Office counters.

Edward Davey: This Government have made clear their ambition for all UK current accounts to be accessible through the post office network, and welcomes the agreement that has been reached between Post Office Ltd. and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to allow RBS and NatWest customers to access their current and business accounts at post offices.
	There have been discussions between Post Office Ltd and those banks yet to agree to provide access to current and business accounts at post offices but the details of these discussions are commercially confidential.

Prisons: Higher Education

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1054W, on prisoners: education, 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse of providing Open University courses to prisoners was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of Open University courses prisoners have  (a) completed and  (b) passed in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what level of education or qualifications prisoners are required to hold before they are accepted on an Open University course;
	(4)  what Open University courses prisoners are undertaking;
	(5)  how many prisoners on Open University courses are not UK nationals;
	(6)  if he will consider the merits of amending the system for funding Open University courses for prisoners to bring it into line with funding, loan and tuition fee arrangements for university study by those not in prison; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The cost to the public purse of prisoners studying with the Open University in prisons over the financial years 2005-06 to 2009-10 is set out in the following tables:
	
		
			  Costs met from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (and predecessors) offender learning budget 
			  Financial year (April-March)  £000 
			 2005-06(1) 538 
			 2006-07(1) 491 
			 2007-08(1) 692 
			 2008-09(1) 827 
			 2009-10(2) 1,190 
			 (1) England and Wales. (2) England. 
		
	
	
		
			  Costs met from the Open University's Access to Learning Fund budget 
			  Financial year (August-July)  £000 
			 2005/06(1) 46 
			 2006/07(1) 322 
			 2007/08(2) 352 
			 2008/09(2) 379 
			 2009/10(2) 445 
			 (1 )England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (2) England and Northern Ireland. 
		
	
	In prisons in England in the 2009-10 academic year 1,513 (69%) of prisoners completed and 1,293 (59%) passed the Open University course(1) for which they were studying. A typical course is worth 60 credit points and requires 16 hours of study each week over nine months. Students aiming for an Open Degree need to earn 300 credit points, the equivalent of five years of 60 credit point courses.
	Nearly all Open University undergraduate courses have no formal entry requirements, either prior qualifications or experience: this allows people who have missed out on education to fulfil their potential and achieve a university-level qualification. The bar is set higher for prisoners, with prospective students who wish to secure funding through this Department required to demonstrate that they have achieved level 2 qualifications and to show evidence of serious commitment to learning for rehabilitation purposes. All applications are considered individually by the Prisoners' Education Trust which administers the scheme on the Department's behalf.
	Prison Service Instruction 33/2010 requires the Prison Governor/Director (or their representative) to apply a sift procedure to all prisoners wishing to apply for an Open University course(1), regardless of the funding source. The sift ensures not only that applicants have been properly advised about the nature of study, and have the aptitude, ability and motivation to complete the course successfully, but also that the course the prisoner is applying for is appropriate in the context of his/her conviction.
	Prisoners are currently undertaking the following Open University courses in English prisons:
	20th century literature: texts and debates
	A world of whose making? Analysing International developments
	Advanced creative writing
	Advanced French
	Advanced Spanish
	An Introduction to Business Studies
	An Introduction to Health and Social Care
	An Introduction to Law
	Analysing data
	Applications of Probability
	Applying psychology
	Approaching Literature
	Archaeology, the science of investigation
	Art and its histories
	Beginners Chinese
	Beginners French
	Beginners German
	Beginners Italian
	Beginners Spanish
	Beginners Welsh
	Biological Psychology
	Biology: Uniformity and Diversity
	Business Functions in context
	Business Organisations and Environments
	Capacities for managing development
	Challenging ideas in mental health
	Chemical Change and environmental applications
	Child development
	Communication and Information technologies
	Communication in health in care
	Community safety, crime prevention and social control
	Computers and processors
	Counselling: exploring fear and sadness
	Creative Writing
	Crime and justice
	Data Computing and Information
	Death and dying
	Design and designing
	Designing Applications with visual basic
	Developing concurrent distributed systems
	Development context and practice
	Diabetes care
	Discourse Analysis
	Discovering Mathematics
	Discovering Psychology
	Diverse perspectives on mental health
	Doing economics: People, markets and policy
	Economics and Economic change
	Elements of Forensic science
	Empire of the Microbes
	Energy for a sustainable future
	Engineering mechanics material design
	Engineering small worlds
	Engineering the future
	English grammar in context
	Enterprise and the environment
	Environment
	Environment: Journeys through a changing world
	Environmental decision making
	Environmental modelling monitoring and control
	Environmental policy in an international context
	Environmental science
	Europe: Culture and Identities
	Evolution
	Exploring History: Medieval to Modern 1400-1900
	Exploring Mathematics
	Exploring psychology
	Exploring science
	Exploring the classical world
	Exploring the English Language
	Film and TV History
	Financial Accounting
	Fossils and the history of life
	From Enlightenment to Romanticism
	Fundamentals of interaction design
	Geology
	Graphs: network and design
	How the Universe works
	Human Biology
	Human genetics and health issues
	Innovation: Designing for a sustainable future
	Institutional development
	Intermediate French
	Intermediate German
	Intermediate Italian
	Intermediate Spanish
	International development
	Introducing astronomy
	Introducing environment
	Introducing Environment (new version 15 credits)
	Introducing religions
	Introducing the social sciences
	Introducing the Social Sciences Part 1
	Introducing the Social Sciences Part 2
	Introduction to counselling
	Introduction to Sport Fitness and Management
	Investigating entrepreneurial opportunities
	Keeping ahead in information
	Law: Agreements rights responsibilities
	Law: Ownership and trusteeships
	Law: the Individual and the state
	Learning to change
	Linear Statistical Modelling
	Living in a globalised world
	Living political ideas
	Making sense of strategy
	Making sense of the arts
	Making sense of the arts (new version 15 credits)
	Making social worlds
	Managing care
	Managing complexity: a systems approach
	Managing in the workplace
	Marketing and Society
	Mathematical methods and models
	Maths for Science
	Medicine and Society in Europe 1500-1930
	Molecules, medicines and drugs
	Networked living: exploring information and communication
	Number theory and Mathematical logic
	Object Oriented programming with Java
	Oceanography
	Optimization
	Personal and career development in engineering
	Personal lives and social policy
	Perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine
	Philosophy and the Human Situation
	Planets; an introduction
	Plants and people
	Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental decision making
	Postgraduate foundation module in philosophy
	Power dissent equality
	Project Management
	Promoting public health
	Pure mathematics
	Putting Java to work
	Reading Classical Greek Language and literature
	Reading Classical Latin
	Relational Databases: theory and practice
	Religion in History
	Renaissance Art
	Science in context
	Science starts here
	Shakespeare: text and performance
	Signals and Perception
	Social psychology
	Software development with Java
	Software Engineering with objects
	Sport and exercise psychology
	Starting with law
	Starting with Maths
	Starting with psychology
	Starting with psychology (new version 15 credits)
	The 19th Century Novel
	The art of English
	The Arts Past and present
	The Greek Theatre
	The molecular world
	The physical world
	The relativistic universe
	The science of the mind: investigating mental health
	The technology of music
	Themes in philosophy
	Topology
	Total War and Social Change in Europe
	Understanding children
	Understanding cities
	Understanding health
	Understanding health (15 credits)
	Understanding human nutrition
	Understanding Law
	Understanding Management
	Understanding Music
	Understanding Society
	Understanding systems
	Understanding the autism spectrum
	Understanding the continents
	Understanding weather
	Upper Intermediate Spanish
	Using Mathematics
	Voices and Texts
	Waves diffusion and variational principles
	Welfare crime and society
	Words and Music
	Working and Learning in Sport and Fitness
	Working for Health
	You and your money: personal finance in context
	The Open University's data on nationality of current prisoner students are incomplete. However, in the financial year 2010-11, the Prisoners' Education Trust has approved funding for three foreign national prisoners, and refused one. Foreign nationals are only funded if they make an exceptionally strong application, taking into account their previous employment history and their commitment to self-reform and avoidance of further crime. They must also have sufficient time to complete the course inside custody.
	The Government continue to believe that higher education is an important learning progression route for some prisoners. A small number of prisoners are able to study higher education full-time as they approach the end of their sentences while released on temporary licence. They are expected to meet their own higher education costs, supported by access to fee loans in exactly the same way as other higher education students. Maintenance loans are not available for prisoners.
	Mainstream students studying part-time higher education courses are supported through grant arrangements: prisoners are not eligible for those grants. Where prisoners have the means to support their own part-time higher education study, they are expected to do so. Where a prisoner cannot afford to support their own learning, we make arrangements to support that learning as described in the answer of 8 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1054W, on prisoners' education. As that earlier answer noted, we are considering how higher education for prisoners should be funded as part of the Government's review of offender learning. We expect that review to be published shortly.
	(1) In the Open University context, a course is a module of study that can count towards a qualification.

Regional Growth Fund

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the method used by his Department to estimate the number of public sector jobs for the purposes of the Regional Growth Fund includes members of the armed services.

Mark Prisk: One of a range of metrics used to assess the locality of bids to the Regional Growth Fund was the share of employee jobs in the public sector from the Office for National Statistics Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). Employee jobs provide a count of jobs not people/employment and do not cover self-employed jobs, HM forces and Government-supported trainees. Public sector employee jobs are those in: public corporations/nationalised bodies, central Government and local authority. The private sector is defined as: company, sole proprietor, partnership and non-profit body or mutual association. Full information on these data can be found on the BIS website:
	http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ppse/index.asp

Repayable Launch Investment

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department's budget includes an allocation of funds for Repayable Launch Investment.

Mark Prisk: The Department has allocated funding to meet its contractual commitments under existing Repayable Launch Investment agreements.
	In common with the policy of previous Governments there is no specific allocation for new Repayable Launch Investment within departmental budgets.

Science: Females

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to address the level of attrition between education and employment for women in  (a) engineering,  (b) science and  (c) other technology disciplines.

David Willetts: We will encourage diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) work force by embedding and mainstreaming best practice and lessons learnt, from the past few years, into the programmes we fund. We will also ask our partners and stakeholders to collaborate with us on this, and share their own valuable experiences, and develop their own approaches. This aligns with the wider work of the coalition to promote inclusive workplaces.
	We have asked the Royal Academy of Engineering, exercising its significant influence over professional institutions, industry and others, to develop a diversity programme in engineering, and also to work with science partners to reach the wider STEM work force in this activity.

Squatting

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many buildings on his Department's estate were occupied by squatters in each year between 2006 and 2010; and on how many occasions his Department sought interim possession orders to remove squatters from such buildings in each of those years.

Edward Davey: None of the Department's buildings have been occupied by squatters during the years 2006 to 2010.

Telephone Services

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding was allocated to the Pay and Work Rights helpline in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Pay and Work Rights helpline was established in May 2009, and formally launched in September 2009. Actual expenditure on running the helpline in 2009/10 was £1,166,000-against an allocation of £1,200,000. This included one off development costs associated with establishing the service. Expenditure for 2010/11 is expected to be just under £850,000 against an allocation of £900,000.
	The Pay and Work Rights helpline provides a valuable single point of contact for workers and employers seeking advice or wanting to report abuses of the national minimum wage, the agricultural minimum wage, the 48 hour average working week, employment agency standards and gangmaster licensing. In the 18 months since its launch, the helpline has received more than 140,000 calls, and referred 4,800 complaints and pieces of intelligence about potential abuses to the five enforcement bodies who stand behind the helpline.

Vocational Guidance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he will announce the proposed division in funding between the allocations of his Department and the Department for Education to the proposed the All-Age Careers Service in 2011-12.

John Hayes: holding answer 17 March 2011
	We will make an announcement shortly regarding the Government's approach to careers advice policy.

Voluntary Work and Charitable Donations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has a policy to encourage its employees to  (a) volunteer and  (b) donate via payroll giving.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) encourages staff to take part in volunteering opportunities by giving paid time off.
	BIS operates a 'Give as you Earn' policy, which allows staff to donate to charities of their choice directly from their monthly salary.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what discussions he had with the Government of Vietnam on his Department's bilateral aid to that country prior to deciding to end such bilateral aid;
	(2)  what consultation he has had with  (a) multilateral organisations active in and  (b) other bilateral donors to Vietnam on the ending of his Department's bilateral aid programme to Vietnam; and on what date each such consultation took place;
	(3)  in which year he expects his Department's bilateral aid programme to Vietnam to close; and what arrangements have been made for phasing the closure over a period of time.

Andrew Mitchell: The bilateral aid relationship between Vietnam and the UK is based on a 10-year Development Partnership Arrangement (DPA, 2006-16). Under the UK Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) process the decision was taken to end bilateral aid at the end of this DPA in 2016. The Department for International Development (DFID) will continue to support Vietnam to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets in primary education, sanitation, and HIV and AIDS, as well as focusing support on the key issues of climate change, governance and accountability, and wealth creation.
	DFID has had regular discussions with the Government of Vietnam throughout this process, including a visit by the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan), in June 2010. The Government of Vietnam welcomed the UK Government's decision positively, declaring our aid as highly effective. DFID also have regular dialogues with donor agencies through a number of important forums such as the Government-Donor Consultative Group meeting (most recently in December 2010), the EU Development Counsellors meeting, and the Aid Effectiveness Forum.
	We will ensure the sustainability of our interventions beyond DFID's presence in Vietnam through the high level UK-Vietnam Strategic Partnership signed in September 2010.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. Vietnam will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £65.5 million in 2008-09.
	UK assistance accounted for 2.56% of the net Official Development Assistance that Vietnam received in the 2009 calendar year, the latest period for which figures are available for comparison purposes. UK support to Vietnam over this period was just over £60 million (equivalent to about $96 million), of which £4 million was debt relief.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme in Cameroon will be closed; and what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme;
	(2)  what discussions he held with  (a) the government of Cameroon,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the bilateral aid programme, and on what dates; and what proportion of the official development assistance received by Cameroon his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: The Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) considered which countries should receive UK bilateral aid, how much they should receive and which countries should stop receiving this aid. The decision taken in 2008 to close the UK's bilateral programme in Cameroon was confirmed as part of the BAR process. We are continuing to discuss with the World Bank and the Government of Cameroon exit arrangements to help sustain and extend improvements in Cameroon's forest sector management once our bilateral programme has ended. We have extended the forest governance facility until 30 September 2011 to allow remaining programme activities to be completed. We will provide funding to the World Bank in Cameroon for a senior forestry adviser until the end of 2012 to provide technical advice and policy guidance to the Government of Cameroon.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. Cameroon will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £16 million in 2008-09.
	In 2009, Cameroon received $649 million in net official development assistance. UK bilateral aid in that year was £1.44 million (approximately $2.07 million)-less than 1% of the total.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme with Niger will close; what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme; what discussions he had with  (a) the government of Niger,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the programme; and on what dates;
	(2)  what proportion of the official development assistance received by Niger his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: The Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) considered which countries should receive UK bilateral aid, how much they should receive and which countries should stop receiving this aid. The Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral programme in Niger consisted of only one multi-donor education project, funded through the French Development Agency, which will end on 31 March 2011. The Bilateral Aid Review found that scaling up our bilateral programme in Niger, where we have no existing office, would not be cost-effective and other donors are better placed to continue working bilaterally in Niger. Discussions with the Nigerian Government and other multilateral and bilateral partners were conducted through the delegated arrangement with France. As we have done in the past, DFID remains ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Niger if justified.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. Niger will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £29.5 million in 2008-09.
	In 2009, Niger received $470 million in net official development assistance (ODA). UK bilateral aid comprised £3.96 million (approximately $5.6 million), or 1.2% of this total.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme with Lesotho will close; what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme; what discussions he held with  (a) the government of Lesotho,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the programme, and on what dates; and what proportion of the official development assistance received by Lesotho his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: The decision to close the Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral aid programme with Lesotho on 31 August 2011 was taken under the Bilateral Aid Review (BAR). DFID's office in Lesotho will close on 31 March 2011. All projects will come to an end as planned-none will be closed early. DFID's bilateral programme represents a small fraction of Lesotho's overall aid. Our experience is that such small programmes often struggle to achieve sufficient impact, Lesotho is one of the highest per capita aid recipients in Africa. Even without the DFID bilateral programme, Lesotho will continue to receive more aid per person than most African countries, including some which are far poorer in income terms.
	Senior DFID officials discussed these plans with the Government of Lesotho in October 2010 and February 2011. Future funding plans of other donors were assessed prior to making our decision.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. Lesotho will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £3.6 million in 2008-09.
	In 2009-10 DFID's bilateral programme to Lesotho totalled £3.2 million. This represented 4% of the £79 million official development assistance (ODA) received by Lesotho in 2009. Total ODA to Lesotho has jumped since 2009-with local sources estimating disbursement of over £150 million during 2010.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme with Gambia will close; what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme; what discussions he held with  (a) the government of Gambia,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the programme, and on what dates; and what proportion of the official development assistance received by Gambia his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: The Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) considered which countries should receive UK bilateral aid, how much they should receive and which countries should stop receiving this aid. The decision taken in 2008 to close the UK's bilateral programme in The Gambia was confirmed as part of the BAR process. Since 2008 the UK Government have worked closely with the Government of The Gambia and other donors to agree a responsible exit strategy to ensure that gains made with DFID bilateral assistance are sustained and extended into the future, including funding for a post in the European Commission office in Banjul. During the course of the review I met the Gambia Minister of Finance.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. The Gambia will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £0.9 million in 2008-09. In 2009, The Gambia received $126 million in net Official Development Assistance. UK bilateral aid comprised £2.39 million (approximately $3.4 million) or 2.7% of the total.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme with Cambodia will close; what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme; what discussions he held with  (a) the government of Cambodia,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the programme, and on what dates; and what proportion of the official development assistance received by Cambodia his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: A decision was made in 2009 to phase out the Department for International Development's (DFID) direct support to Cambodia. This was in keeping with the original plan of having an in-country presence for 10 years, and confirmed by the Bilateral Aid Review. The DFID office formally closed on 31 January 2011.
	DFID agreed to honour all existing programme commitments and to exit responsibly from sectors in which we were involved. Three projects will continue beyond the life of the office with the final project scheduled to close on 31 December 2013. Management of remaining programmes has been transferred to DFID Vietnam.
	DFID's bilateral spend in Cambodia for financial year 2010-11 stands at £14,555,299. This does not reflect any funding through central sources such as Civil Society Challenge Funds or Regional Research Grants etc.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme with Burundi will close; what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme; what discussions he held with  (a) the government of Burundi,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the programme, and on what dates; and what proportion of the official development assistance received by Burundi his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral aid programme in Burundi will close in March 2012. This decision was taken under the Bilateral Aid Review (BAR), which concluded that better value for money and results could be delivered through our larger existing programmes and regional support.
	DFID Burundi has been working in four sectors-health, education, justice and regional integration. DFID is in discussions with the European Union (EU) to transfer programming in the health sector. The bulk of DFID's education funding is through a joint-donor basket fund with Belgium and France, which will continue following DFID's departure. The majority of funding for the justice sector is to an EU programme that will also continue. From 2012, DFID will concentrate exclusively on supporting Burundi's integration into the East African Community through regional funding, as we believe this will be a critical factor in the country's medium term growth. All remaining programmes will be coming to an end during the financial year 2011-12. No programmes will be closed early.
	Discussions about the closure of the bilateral programme were held with the Government of Burundi and other partners in November 2010. Earlier discussions about the likelihood and implications of closure were held with the two major bilateral donors in Burundi-the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Belgian embassy-in June 2010.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. Burundi will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £12.7 million in 2008-09.
	For the calendar year 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available, DFID support comprised 2.6% of total donor aid to Burundi.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which year his Department's bilateral aid programme with Indonesia will close; what arrangements he has made for phasing in the closure of that programme; what discussions he held with  (a) the government of Indonesia,  (b) multilateral organisations and  (c) other bilateral donors to that country prior to his decision on the future of the programme, and on what dates; and what proportion of the official development assistance received by Indonesia his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: Indonesia is one of the world's fastest growing emerging economies, and over the next period will transition from a traditional aid relationship with the UK towards a new type of partnership. Under the Bilateral Aid Review, the Government decided to end the Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral aid programme in Indonesia in March 2015. DFID programme funds to Indonesia will focus on climate change and decline over the final three years in a phased approach to closure.
	DFID officials consulted with the Vice-Minister of the Indonesian Ministry for Development Planning in November 2010 on DFID's transition to a focus on climate change and to programme closure. The Government consulted on closure with representatives in Indonesia of the United Nations and of Governments of Australia, Norway and Holland during January and February 2011.
	The BAR also considered multilateral aid received by individual countries. Indonesia will continue to benefit from UK funding provided through the multilateral development organisations. This amounted to £24.5 million in 2008-09.
	The 2010 Indonesia Country Report for the Paris Declaration for Aid Effectiveness shows DFID programme funds contributed 0.4% of all bilateral aid to Indonesia in 2010.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the official development assistance received by Vietnam his Department's bilateral aid comprised in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: The latest period for which figures are available for comparison purposes is the 2009 calendar year. UK support to Vietnam over this period was just over £60 million (equivalent to about $96 million), of which £4 million was debt relief. UK assistance accounted for 2.56% of the net official development assistance that Vietnam received.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's press release of 3 February 2011, on aid to Somalia, by what means his Department plans to help up to 45,000 people into jobs in that country.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development will work with UN agencies, the World Bank and other development partners to create an estimated 45,000 long-term jobs in Somalia, over the next four years. The programme will support people working in the livestock, fisheries and agriculture sectors across Somalia. The programme will work with producers and service providers, and strengthen links between producers and local and international markets. It will also aim to improve the investment climate, initially in Somaliland. This will include helping to improve the financial sector, port management, and the way government engages with the private sector, including mobilising funds to invest in fisheries and other sectors.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's press release of 3 February 2011, on aid to Somalia, with which organisations his Department plans to work to deliver aid to that country.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) will initially channel the majority of its funds for Somalia, from 2011-15, through the United Nations (UN), the International Committee of the Red Cross and through international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We also expect to support Somali NGOs through international NGOs.
	Our UN partners will include the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). We will also work with the World Bank.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's press release of 3 February 2011, on aid to Somalia, what proportion of the proposed increase in his Department's aid for Somalia he estimates will be spent in  (a) Somaliland,  (b) Puntland and  (c) southern Somalia.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has allocated £44 million to Somalia for 2011-12 and £46 million for 2012-13. Of this £90 million approximately 35% will go to Somaliland, 11% to Puntland and 54% to South-Central Somalia.
	All allocations for 2013-15 will depend on results. We have provisionally allocated £80 million per year for 2013-14 and 2014-15. Of the provisional total allocation of £250 million for the period 2011-15, we plan to spend 40% in Somaliland. The remaining funds will be allocated to other parts of Somalia depending on needs, opportunities and progress.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the merits of the recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State for International Development is aware of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' views from discussions with the Department for International Development before the Secretary of State's visit to Somaliland in January. The UK, like the rest of the international community, does not recognise Somaliland as an independent state. While we keep this policy under review, we continue to believe that recognition of any new arrangement should begin in the region, ideally with the Somali people themselves determining their future relationship.